


Path of a Summoner

by slingbees



Category: Final Fantasy X, Final Fantasy X & Final Fantasy X-2, Final Fantasy X-2
Genre: Gen, I'm not taking the 'plot elements' tho, LOTS OF SPOILERS, Spoilers, a few X-2 spoilers too but really not discussed at length, bc it SUUUUCKED, but it had a couple of good ideas, don't want those, probs don't read if you haven't played at least 10, stealing the good parts from the audio drama
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-11-14
Updated: 2019-01-10
Packaged: 2019-02-01 20:23:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 23
Words: 61,798
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12712308
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/slingbees/pseuds/slingbees
Summary: Wren is a sphere recorder whose dream is to retrace the steps of former summoners and share whatever she might find with the world. What she uncovers is a little more than she or her new friends ever bargained for.Original story featuring my own characters, set in the FFX universe (which I'm borrowing for a bit), six years after the original game.





	1. Luca, Brief Introductions

Wren stood beside her new traveling partner in the Luca marketplace, a wary look around the stalls. It wasn’t the much taller, shrouded companion that made her nervous, but the last minute preparations for the trip ahead of them. Making a mental checklist of what she might have forgotten at home, and what she needed to buy before the ferry arrived… Once they set sail, she would have an easier time calming down, but for now, she was spending a good deal of time mumbling to herself while she thought.

She looked up at the other, who had only told her that their name was Twill, and that they were interested in traveling. Their face was hidden by a scarf up to their eyes, which was the same color and material as the two-toned cloak that covered their head and shoulders, and hid their arms completely down to their hands. They were a mage, she knew that much, but they had a spear strapped to their back. Wren didn’t ask many questions about their appearance and belongings, thinking it would be rude to pry into their business. They wouldn’t hide their face if they didn’t have a reason, and she was satisfied with that.

Despite the oddity of a mage carrying a spear, and concerns about a person she’d never met and knew little about after interviewing them, she trusted her gut feeling that this person was not dangerous and had no malicious intent towards her. After all, she had hired this person as her bodyguard. After putting out an ad in the local news, they were the only applicant who had turned up to escort Wren and her sphere recording equipment across Spira to film. They had to be enough.

Twill looked towards the foods at the brightly clothed stall before them. “Nothing that will go bad quickly. Any meat or fish will have to be smoked before we leave. We can eat gysahl greens in a pinch, so be sure to keep some handy.”

“Gysahl greens? For chocobos?” she asked, glancing up at them.

Shrugging, Twill nodded. “They might be used for chocobo feed, but they’re perfectly edible. With the Mi’ihen Highroad nearby, it should be easy to find them for sale.”

“Plus, I don’t have a lot of money left, so we probably can’t afford meat,” said Wren, looking at the ground. “But if we buy some vegetables I can cook those up. I’ll give the greens a chance. But… we can do some hunting on the go, can’t we?”

“I’ll let you be in charge of skinning anything you catch,” said Twill, snorting.

“Oh, I forgot about cooking supplies,” whispered Wren, only half hearing the other. “I brought a pot from home, but I don’t think any of my little kitchen knives will be enough to stand up against a beast.”

“I have one we can use for skinning, but both of us will primarily be using magic to defend ourselves, so don’t worry about using it to kill. I was only teasing,” said Twill. “You have a fanciful idea of what traveling is like. Don’t worry so much, we’ll be alright.”

As the sun was beginning to rise higher into the sky, the boat to Kilika pulled into port, and it was nearing noon. The crowd coming from the islands was thinning out as they dispersed from the boat, and people were starting to board once more. There were fewer people coming to Luca in the blitzball off season, but it was still a sizable crowd, for one of the largest cities in Spira.

Wren wasn’t a stranger to the bustling city, nor unfamiliar people crowding around her as they herded away from the same direction, but Twill seemed to balk as they followed behind her to the docks. They were polite as other people brushed past them, but their posture was obviously stiff, cautious about contact with others.

Wren didn’t seem to notice as she walked ahead, but Twill heard a voice calling out over the crowd as they got closer to the ship’s gangplank. As Wren turned around to look, Twill pulled her aside sharply by the arm to avoid her being trampled by the number of people swarming through the streets.

The voice belonged to a very large man, not taller than Twill, but built like a tank, wide and sturdy. His hair was in long dreads, tied up, waving behind him wildly as he ran towards them, and partly covered by a bandana, the tails of which were draped over his shoulder. He was barely breaking a sweat as he stopped short of them, but he’d lost his balance as he tried to stop short, almost stumbling.

“You—“ he said, pointing at Wren. “You’re the girl who’s looking for a bodyguard, right?”

His words were slightly accented, and unconsciously peering into the man’s eyes, Wren could make out the vibrant green, and the deep swirl that ran through his eyes to the pupils, a trademark of the nomadic and technologically inclined Al Bhed.

Only a few days earlier, Wren had put in a request on the local news saying that she was in need of someone to escort her on a long journey across Spira. It had been intimidating, waiting for strangers in a big city to approach her about the offer, and trying to decide if they had good intentions, but in the end not many people showed up. Twill was the only one who was willing to drop everything to travel with a stranger, but that was partly because they had introduced theirself to her as a wanderer theirself.

“That’s me! We’re just about to board to leave for Kilika, but if you’re interested, I could always use another hand!”

“Sure thing,” he said, nodding proudly. “I’m Merris. I mostly do mechanic work, but I know how to take care of fiends.”

Wren nodded slowly, sticking her hand out to him. “I’ve got a bit of magical skill, but Twill here is the real mage.”

He seemed to be in a hurry to leave, even despite showing up at the last possible second. She couldn’t imagine why he’d want to come along on such short notice, but they could work out the fine details on the ferry. If he decided he wasn’t interested after all, or if he turned out not to be a good fit… The trip between Luca and Kilika took about a day to complete. Wren had to assume he knew what he was doing if he'd followed her here already.

“Wren, we might be late,” warned Twill, pointing with their hand beneath their cloak at the boat. “We have to hurry.”

“Come with us! We can talk more on the ferry,” said Wren, turning away from the Al Bhed man.

Merris took a moment to react, but hurried after them as soon as he realized they were boarding the ferry.

There was a long journey ahead of her, but Wren was ecstatic to be leaving, and a little relieved. Finally, she could stop worrying about getting out into the world and get to it, already. She held the bag containing her sphere recorder close to her chest as the ship's horn sounded, indicating that the ferry would start moving soon, and watched from the deck as it did so. The water broke around the ship, and she waved at the small crowd that was seeing the travelers off, grinning brightly.

With this first step, they were finally on their way to Kilika.


	2. Getting Along

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Killing some time on the S.S. Winno.

Twill was surprisingly uninterested in coming above deck to see the water as the ship powered across the sea. The little ferry was still run on chocobo power, a rarity for larger ships now, but passage between the islands wasn’t a long journey, and the ferries still used chocobos to run the ships. Wren was excited to be aboard, and loved travel, but she took to the lower deck to see her companion, leaving Merris to his own devices.

They were alone in the common area for the passengers and their luggage, so Wren sat across from them on the floor, crossing her legs.

“Seasick?” she asked quietly.

“A little,” they replied. “I don’t travel by boat often, but I can manage it. I simply don’t like crowds.”

“I get it. I saw how you were in Luca,” said Wren.

Twill nodded, but said nothing for a few moments, looking idly at the floor. Their eyes were unfocused, but they finally looked back to Wren. “There is something you must know about me if we are to make this journey. Besaid is just the first step, am I correct? Traveling across all of Spira is not a short time together.”

Wren tilted her head, watching as Twill freed their hands from the cloak they wore. “Oh, you don’t have to...”

Twill shook their head. “No, these theatrics of mine aren’t as important as it is that we are all completely open with each other. We must trust each other.”

Wren nodded, watching with curiosity as Twill’s appropriately large, almost clawed hands lowered the hood of their cloak, and then pulled the scarves away from their face. She noticed the markings on their skin, a dusty pink color the same as their hair, which was gnarled and curled like the roots of a tree, and stood in four segments on their head.

“You’re a Guado,” she said plainly, nodding. “I think I understand. I’m not that surprised, actually. I noticed how tall you are, of course... Is that bad?”

Twill fiddled with their hair for a moment, smoothing the almost posable wefts into place. “No, don’t worry. I know my concealed identity makes people uncomfortable at times. To me, the only thing that matters is that I not be associated any longer with my homeland. They may make whatever accusations they like beyond that point.”

“Oh,” said Wren, frowning. “Did, um... something happen? I mean, I know about Guadosalam and the Guado moving back in after exiling themselves, but... can I ask why you do this?”

Twill shrugged just a little. “I was once a guardian of the Farplane, or... royal guard, whatever you might call it. We alternated shifts, and served the same purpose. I became fed up and frightened after Seymour Guado came into power. We knew what had happened to Lord Jyscal before him, about his murder. I left, knowing I couldn’t serve him, and I’ve never been back.”

“Oh.”

“I don’t feel responsible for his actions, and I don’t want to be held accountable for them,” they continued. “He isn’t with us anymore, but it still hangs over us. I’ve hidden my face since the Eternal Calm began and what we did became public information.”

“I’m sorry,” said Wren, folding her hands together. “I don’t know what to say.”

“No, don’t worry yourself about it. I just needed you to know. I appreciate you lending me an ear,” they said.

“It’s no problem,” said Wren, shaking her head. "I appreciate you telling me all of this. I feel like I understand you a bit better."

Twill slowly began to reapply their scarves, then pulled the good back over their head. "I know I shouldn't be prying either, but do you have anything of a similar nature to open up about? Anything integral to yourself or this journey?"

Wren felt a little surprised that it had been turned on her, but she should have expected as much after being told that they shouldn't keep secrets from each other. She had to think for a couple of moments. "I... don't think so. There's not that much to know about me. You know what I do for a living, and why we're out here... There's not much more to me that's important right now."

"No family secrets?" asked Twill, this time teasing just a little.

"Hmm, no," answered Wren. "Oh, but... now that you mention it, I guess I could say that I've been living on my own for.... six or seven years now? My dad died a long time ago, so I don't really remember him, but I used to travel a bit with my mom, who... Used to work in Bevelle. She died a few years ago."

Twill nodded understandingly. "...Sin?" they asked.

"Yeah," said Wren, folding her arms. She leaned her head to the side, frowning a little bit. "It's not a big deal anymore, but I still think about her. I know I shouldn't be upset, back then we all had to consider that Sin might come at any moment, but... I don't know. I don't feel like I've really let her go, even though I've accepted her death."

"You could always visit the Farplane, on our way," said Twill, actually twiddling their thumbs. "...We will be passing through Guadosalam, won't we?"

"We will. It's the only way to get to Macalania. The temple might have sunken, but I can still ask around... see the lake, I guess," she said. "But... yeah, I've never been to the Farplane before. Visitors are allowed again, right? They've gotten it back under control?"

Twill shrugged. "So I've heard, anyway."

"I have to go there anyway," said Wren, smiling a little. "I might have an expert on the Farplane right here, but I want a firsthand account of what it's like."

She got to her feet again slowly, stretching. “I think you’re right. There shouldn’t be any secrets between us. I won’t force anyone to talk, but I can open myself up to the two of you.”

Twill got to their feet as well, but leaned against the wall comfortably, looking towards Wren. “I may go above deck, if you intend to return. But I wanted to say something else first.”

“What is it?”

“You lack a conduit with which to perform magic,” they said. “If you plan to use magic to defend yourself without one, your magic will be weaker and more difficult to control. Guado are more in tune with the spiritual aspect of the world, and skilled mages may not need a conduit, but even I use my spear at times to channel it.”

“Oh,” said Wren. She had clearly not expected that answer.

“I will purchase something for you in Kilika, if you come with me to the market,” they added. “Think of it as a gift, or a handout, but one way or another you must be able to protect yourself.”

“No, I understand. Thanks for the advice,” she said, turning to the door. “I haven’t had real training, so I had no idea that’s why my spells were basically not suited for anything besides lighting a campfire.”

Twill stepped forward, fully hidden once again, and looked up the stairs to the deck. Their steps were uncertain, but they were standing. “Again, don’t worry yourself. I know you’ll have plenty of time to put it to good use.”

“Thank you,” said Wren, dipping her head appreciatively.

Twill seemed ready to best the stairs at their own leisure, so Wren went above deck once more to find the Al Bhed man who had joined them at the port.

He was nowhere to be seen on the main deck, but... once she looked up at the topmost area of the ship’s decks, above the cabins and the wheel room, she spotted him sitting against the wall, looking up at the sky.

When he turned his head to look at her, she got a better look at his face now that they weren’t being herded through a crowd. His face was a bit babyish, she noticed, with large eyes and round cheeks, and he might look a bit younger if not for his beard, which made it fairly obvious that he wasn’t a child. The pale blue bell that he wore for an earring tinkled softly, though it was muffled by the tails of his bandana, which were now draped over his shoulder.

“You’re Merris, right? I’m Wren,” she said, sitting beside him on the deck.

“Yeah, I know, I saw the announcement you put out on the news,” said Merris, nodding. “We didn’t really get to talk much before boarding.”

"Sorry about that. Are you already prepared for a journey like this?” she asked.

“Pretty much,” he said. “I’ve got the basics, anyway. I was planning on stocking up on anything I’m missing in Kilika after we land, if you’ve got the time.”

“We have to stop by the marketplace anyway,” she offered. “If you need supplies you can get it then.”

She looked up at the sky as he had done, smiling softly. “So... do you have any questions for me? You joined up in a hurry, you know.”

He started to shake his head, but paused, thinking. “Yeah, I guess I had better ask what this trip is all about. I decided to join for my own reasons, but I probably should know what I’m getting into.”

“Probably a good idea,” agreed Wren, laughing. “Alright, well... I’m a sphere recorder at Luca stadium. I’m one of the people that helps film the games and other events that happen there, but I’ve always had an interest in the former summoners and their lives.”

“I want to make a movie sphere about the history of the summoners, and their pilgrimage across Spira,” she said. “So I’m retracing their steps, making stops at temples to speak to priests and former summoners... Research, mostly.”

“So we’re headed for the temple in Kilika first?” he asked.

“Right. I’m not going in a specific order on purpose, but the end goal is Zanarkand, of course, and to start...” she trailed off for a moment, smiling softly. “I wanna meet Lady Yuna. I mean, I’m going to interview her, of course, but she really is a hero of mine. I’ve always admired the dedication of the summoners, to the people of Spira and to Yevon, even though the corruption of Yevon was made public after Lady Yuna brought the Eternal Calm.”

“Oh?” he asked, this time looking at her out of the corner of his eye.

“I think it’s very brave, that’s all... The sacrifice they endured and those who gave their lives,” she said. “It’s so selfless. Now Lady Yuna brought us a Calm that will stay forever.”

Merris seemed slightly put off by her praise of the summoners, grimacing for a moment. “I’m not that critical of the core beliefs of the Yevonites, but everyone says this, ‘Eternal Calm.’ How do you know? What makes this Calm eternal? It’s been years since Sin was defeated, and it hasn’t returned, longer than ever before, right? But how do we know it won’t come back?”

Wren shrugged just a little, frowning. “You know... I don’t know. I’ve wondered that too. But that’s part of what this is about: learning all that I can about Spira’s past, and sharing it with everyone else. I’m going to show my sphere at the Luca theatre when it’s finally finished.”

Merris nodded a bit, but didn’t seem to have anymore questions of that nature.

Wren frowned. “Just to be clear, I’m not with Yevon anymore. I used to be, you know, when everyone was, but I kinda fell out of it, and when word came out about corrupt officials... Maester Seymour’s crimes, and Mika’s willingness to overlook it, and so on... I gave up. I didn’t join any of those groups opposing New Yevon, or anything, I just kind of felt... hurt.”

“Yevon has always had its problems,” he said, trying to be reassuring. “They changed their story to suit whatever politics they believed... Accusing the Al Bhed of heresy. How can we be heretics if we never believed in the first place? All Yevon did was condemn us. It’s wrong, but Yevon had its followers fooled for years.”

“Because of the Machina War,” said Wren, nodding. “Sin came, and ended the war before everyone destroyed each other, but... It’s hard to believe that anyone could hold a grudge for that long. And hard to believe an entire group of people would be condemned just for not following the teachings.”

“Not that hard,” he said, shaking his head. “Yevon’s word is still pretty powerful even today, even now that it’s so divided.”

“You’re right,” said Wren. “I’m sorry.”

She sighed, and wrapped her arms around her knees, still watching him. She didn’t know what else to say about it. She should have known Yevon would be a touchy subject, but even so Merris didn’t seem that bothered. Maybe he was used to it. She didn’t think that forgave the church, by any means.

Wren tilted her head at him. “Can I ask you about something else? Why did you decide to come along without knowing what we were doing?”

“Oh, that,” he said, snorting. “I’m looking for someone. As long as we’re traveling across Spira, I thought I might try to catch up with them.”

“I expect most of our time will be spent traveling or doing research, but if you need time, maybe we’ll find what you’re looking for,” she said, trying to be helpful. “Will you stay after you find them?”

“Well... truth be told, I don’t know. I plan to, I agreed to this on my own, after all,” he said. “Let me put it this way, I’m more likely to stay than not. I mean, I know the person I’m looking for isn’t in any danger, but when I find them, I might be given a reason to stay with them. If that happens, then I won’t be able to travel with you anymore.”

Wren nodded understandingly. “If you think you have to. Twill and I can take care of ourselves, I think. We’ll help you until then.”

“Thanks,” he said, smiling a little. He flicked the little bell with his finger, the glass tinkling gently once more. “I don’t like to go back on my word. So you can be sure that if I decide to leave, I’ll have a reason. And if I do, I’ll let you know. I’ll do all I can for you until I know.”

“I appreciate it,” said Wren.

She felt like she understood him a little better.

"Do you mind if I stay here for a little bit?" she asked. "I want to rest up a bit before we get to Kilika Port, but I don't want to sit by myself."

Merris nodded a little. "You're fine. You can doze off for a bit if you want to. Kilika is a day's journey away, but you might as well get some shuteye while you can. If anyone tries to bug you I'll be right here."

"Thanks," she said, smiling softly.

He nodded his head, then went back to taking in the environment as he had been doing when she showed up. Wren tried it too.

The sun was beating down overhead, but the wind kept them cool. She could smell the strong scent of the ocean, though she couldn't see the waves from where she was sitting on the floor. She could almost feel them, she imagined, the way the ship rocked so gently over the waves as it cut through them. Leaning her head against her shoulder for a few moments, she closed her eyes. Whether or not she drifted off, she was going to relax while she had nothing better to do, and she was already beginning to feel sleepy.

It was unlike her to take a midday nap, but she felt satisfied with herself and her companions, feeling safe next to Merris while she slept. 


	3. Kilika, Dona

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Advice from a former summoner.

Between Kilika and Luca, the trip took a day to complete. The trip to Besaid was shorter, only a few hours, but before they departed again, Wren had business to take care of in Kilika, and wanted some downtime from being on the ferry for a whole day, to stretch her legs. 

She took her sphere recorder with her, the other two of them pushing through the fiends prowling the old path to the temple. Though she felt she should have been helping, she had been too excited to stop in the market, and still had no conduit to direct her magic. She would admit to taking some recordings of their movements.

Twill was almost immovable, casting spell after spell without their own conduit, though they carried their spear on their back. Wren guessed that they probably wouldn’t like to be filmed if she asked them to show her some moves with their spear, knowing they were capable of wielding it as well as magic, but it was amazing to watch nonetheless. Wren’s magic wasn’t nearly as powerful, and Twill did all that they did with minimal movement, not allowing the fiends to come near them as they cast. Perhaps they knew Wren was filming, and were trying to keep their identity hidden, or maybe they were really that good.

Merris was almost the exact opposite of Twill. He fought with his fists, and could easily take on a single opponent, darting back and forth despite his size, able to dodge attacks from the formidable ochu plant. He seemed to know just where to hit it in order to stun it, preventing it from attacking, and Wren suspected he knew some kind of magic of his own. His style was impressive, a powerhouse that only needed his own body to survive a scrap with a fiend.

Both of her traveling companions were pretty amazing.

They arrived at the temple. Wren paid her respects to the high summoners, bowing lowly in prayer in respect of their tradition, then disappeared into one of the wings of the outer temple to speak to the clergy inside.

Of the temples in Spira, Kilika was one of the more kept ones. The people of the port town were still divided on the teachings of Yevon, but it did have a dedicated set of followers, and those who never abandoned their work at the temple. As many temples took in those in need, the sick, injured, and orphaned, even becoming a shelter in times of need, the upkeep of a temple in such a small place was important, regardless of belief.

The woman Wren spoke with gave her information about the temples and their upkeep, and the many summoners who had passed through Kilika Temple’s arches, even during her lifetime. She also told her of a former summoner living in Kilika. Wren thanked her for the information, and for allowing her to film, then returned to the others, who waited outside.

Apparently, Merris had some questions for Twill.

“It is because I am a Guado,” Twill answered politely, keeping their voice low.

“Oh?” asked Merris, blinking at them. “Oh yeah, that makes sense. Sorry, man, I was just wondering. I just like to know who I’m traveling with.”

“It’s just the way I choose to dress,” said Twill, shaking their head. “I understand being cautious. I’d normally ask someone to mind their own business, but as I’ve already told Wren, I believe that we should trust each other as long as we are together. That’s why I chose to answer your prodding truthfully.”

“That’s all fine by me,” said Merris, nodding. “I guess all that really matters is that we all watch each other’s backs.”

Wren tilted her head, approaching them. If there was a conflict, they’d worked it out. They were just getting to know each other, taking turns testing the waters.

“I think I’m finished here,” she said, nodding.

“You’re not going inside?” asked Merris.

“In the cloister?” she asked, her eyebrows going up. “No, no, it’s kind of against the rules, plus the inner trials of the temples can be dangerous these days. I think they hire specific people to clean them out every now and then, but I heard the temples have been having troubles with fiends for a few years now. Minor stuff, mostly, but no one really goes in, since the Fayth disappeared when Lady Yuna defeated Sin.”

Merris nodded a little. “Oh yeah, I’d heard that. Djose Temple was having troubles too. I think they got it under control, but now that you mention it, I guess it wasn’t just them.”

“It’s gotten much better since the fiends first appeared,” said Twill. “There used to be very strong ones pouring from inside the temples, but they’ve calmed down, it seems. Mostly all you see now are the little ones.”

Wren gestured towards them for them to follow as she departed the temple. She smiled a little to herself as she prepared her equipment.

“Before we set off again, there’s someone I want to try to meet,” she said. “The priest said that there was a former summoner living in town. If she’s in a mind to speak, I want to try to get some footage from her.”

-

Wren stood before the hut with its hanging cloth drawn aside. Merris had followed her with nothing better to do, but Twill excused themself, leaving just the two of them.

“Lady Dona?” asked Wren softly, though she didn’t peer into the hut for fear of being rude.

There was a shuffling noise from inside, but no one came to the door. This time, Wren did look. The room was empty, it seemed.

“Who are you?” asked a voice from above them.

Wren looked up, stepping back to look at the second floor, where a woman stood on the deck, looking down at them with a hand on her hip. She didn’t appear to be annoyed, per se, but she did look confused, maybe frustrated.

“Are you Lady Dona?”

The woman wrinkled her nose. “Just Dona. If you know who I am, you must know I’m no longer a summoner.”

“Of course! I’m sorry,” said Wren.

“Nevermind that. What have you come here for?” asked Dona. “Wait there.”

Dona disappeared back into the hut, then the sound of someone descending the stairs was heard, before she reappeared in front of Wren, studying the two before her critically.

“My name is Wren, I’m making a movie sphere about the summoners and their pilgrimage, and I was wondering if I could ask a few questions?” she asked.

Dona frowned slightly, looking at her for a moment. “I... suppose so.”

“Both of you come in,” she said, stepping aside.

It was nice to be in the shade again, Wren thought.

“What about you?” asked Dona, pointing at Merris.

Merris blinked, surprised when it suddenly turned on him. “Oh, I’m, uh. Just hired hands.”

“We’re traveling together,” said Wren, laughing quietly. “I can’t fight for myself very well, so I asked around for people willing to escort me while I do my research.”

Dona gave a small hum, then offered both of them a seat, taking her own seat on the bed.

“Alright... so what do you want to know?”

Wren sat down and pulled out a pencil and paper instead from her bag, thinking. “Well... why did you become a summoner?”

“Starting from the beginning, huh? Hmmmm....” Dona made a face like she expected that, then began to think about it, pursing her lips tightly.

“I grew up with the temple, first of all. I didn’t have much choice on that front, naturally. But apart from that, it’s hard to put into words. I can’t say that wanting to receive praise for my work wasn’t a small part of it, but I guess I felt a sense of duty,” she said. “I used to tend the temple here, when I was little. I saw summoners come and go, and I guess I was inspired by them. I wanted to be the one to defeat Sin, after Lord Braska’s Calm. It was what I knew, and I was willing to work for it.”

Wren hummed, almost in agreement.

“And... how did your journey end, if you don’t mind?” asked Wren.

Dona sighed quietly. “In the end, I pulled out of the race before it was even over. One of Lady Yuna’s guardians, a boy, spoke to me after... Well, first, I should mention, for a time, summoners were disappearing from the roads mysteriously. It’s not uncommon for summoners to die on their pilgrimage, but not in such numbers. It was a handful of us who had been kidnapped by the Al Bhed in an effort to protect us.”

Merris snorted at that, nodding. “Yeah, I remember that. I wasn’t at Home when it was destroyed, but I knew about a group from Home scouting out summoners and their guardians, taking them off the roads.”

Dona glanced at him briefly before continuing. “Right, and then the Guado attacked the Al Bhed Home. Most of the survivors escaped on their airship, but it was hard on all of us. After talking to that boy, I decided not to continue my pilgrimage. My confidence shouldn’t have been shaken so easily, but after being shown up, kidnapped, and then nearly killed, I didn’t know how much more I could take. I counted my blessings, and decided to leave it to the others. It just... wasn’t for me, anymore. After all that time training, right?”

“There’s nothing wrong with that,” said Wren, smiling softly. “You’re alive... You just made the best choice for yourself.”

“Well, for myself, but also for my guardian,” said Dona. “I had to think for both of us. I wonder what might have happened if I hadn’t quit, sometimes, but a summoner’s life is dangerous. It might easily have ended in tragedy.”

“What are your thoughts on Yevon now that you are no longer a summoner?” she asked.

Dona made a face as she thought on that one for a few moments. “I’m... cautious. I’m disappointed that many of the things I once trusted turned out to be false, and I can’t trust the practice any longer.”

She frowned, then continued. “However, my guardian, Barthello, is still a follower of Yevon, and I’ve had to make peace with that. But I’m willing to be supportive, within reason. I owe that to him.”

“That’s amazing,” murmured Wren, smiling at her. “Sorry, it’s not really my business, I know, but it’s really great that you’re so close. The bond between a summoner and their guardian is really amazing.”

Dona seemed embarrassed, and waved her hand to try to brush her comments aside, snorting. “It’s not that special. It’s the least anyone could do for another person.”

“That’s fine,” said Wren. “I really appreciate your answers.”

The questioning went on for several more minutes, and Dona cooperated easily. She was occasionally sensitive on certain subjects, but she was polite to the young recorder, and answered as honestly as she could. Wren could tell she had a certain amount of pride, and that she was fiercely competitive, but Dona was very relaxed as she spoke to her. It surprised her that she had viewed High Summoner Yuna with such a harsh rivalry.

A large man entered the hut, carrying a proportionately large fish in his arms, wrapped in a cloth, but the smell gave it away instantly. He looked at the two strangers sitting in his home, then looked to Dona, blinking in surprise.

Dona explained the gist of it quickly, introducing the man as her former guardian, Barthello. Evidently, he was now a fisherman by trade. The work day had been slow, but now it was time for dinner, and he had brought a lucky catch of considerable size with him.

Wren and Merris were invited to stay for dinner, and politely accepted, informing them as well that they’d like to take something home to Twill as well. The fish was huge and fatty, so there was plenty for everyone after cooking, and the couple offered the remaining fish to the two travelers, and sent them off to the travel agency with their leftovers.

Dona stopped Wren before she left. “I doubt you came to Kilika just to see me, correct? You’re going to see the high summoner in Besaid, aren’t you?”

It was Wren’s turn to be embarrassed. “A priest from the temple advised me to come here. It was a happy accident, but I want to include accounts of as many summoners as I come across. Lady Yuna is... kind of like my hero, I guess. I’m sorry if I’ve insulted you.”

“No, I’m not bothered by that,” she said, shaking her head. “Everyone in Spira owes her their gratitude at least, I really don’t care. I’m just someone who got outshined by her work, I don’t expect recognition for my failed pilgrimage.”

She frowned a little, but continued. “Just be sure you’re prepared to deal with her guardians. Two of them live in the same village, and it _is_ the Blitzball off season...”

Wren’s eyes widened for a second. “Oh! So Sir Tidus will be there? I completely forgot to make the connection between the season ending and him visiting home...”

“You don’t sound that surprised, though. Have you met him before?” she asked.

“Once or twice,” admitted Wren. “I shoot most of the games, so I meet a lot of the players, if only in passing... He’s kind of intimidating. I’m a little nervous about seeing him outside of bumping into him on the job...”

“You won’t have to worry about him, it’s the others you’ll have to get through to see Yuna,” laughed Dona. “She’s a busy girl. World famous. It will take some convincing. If you need to use my name, tell them that I’ll vouch for you. And they can make the trip over here to prove it.”

“Thank you,” said Wren, smiling. She turned away, waving goodbye to the other woman.

“Don’t miss the ferry out of here,” said Dona. “It sounds like you’ve got your work cut out for you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not sure if Dona seems out of character in this chapter? I imagined that she's only unfriendly to Yuna because she views her as a rival, and has a cold exterior, but probably would be polite to a stranger, within reason. Hopefully you guys can appreciate that too, but if it doesn't come off well, then oh well. 
> 
> Also, I didn't know that it was possible for Dona not to quit her pilgrimage if you don't talk to her on the airship in FFX until researching a little for this chapter (though after thinking about it, I realized that's something else that isn't mentioned in X-2 because they couldn't say which choice the player made in the previous game).
> 
> Unfortunately, the only footage of this I can find is the cutscene where Tidus tries to tell her that there's no way for her to get the final aeon, and then she brushes him off and goes into Zanarkand anyway. I don't know if there's any aftermath or not to that because I couldn't find it, so I decided to go with the path that I took, and have her be talked out of it.
> 
> Not that any of this matters, but I really love the little daily lives of a good number of the side characters, haha.


	4. An Honor and a Privilege

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Twill passes on rumors from around town, and Wren gets an unbelievable offer from a stranger.

That night, at the travel agency, Twill was already waiting for them in their room, by the table. They sat near the window, which they’d covered, their scarves removed for ease of comfort. On the bed was a long object, wrapped in a thick, crinkly paper.

“That’s for you,” they said, pointing to Wren.

“This is the staff?” she asked, sounding pleasantly surprised.

“And this is for you,” said Merris, setting the cooked fish before the Guado.

“Where did you get this?” asked Twill.

“Spent some time talking to a summoner in town,” he said, grinning. “She let us stay for dinner and told us to take this back to you. You’d better be hungry.”

“I am,” said Twill, smiling faintly. “I actually haven’t eaten yet, I was waiting for the two of you to return.”

“Sorry about that,” said Wren. “I didn’t want to turn her down, you know...”

“It’s fine. Just take a look at the staff I bought,” said Twill, unwrapping the fish. “I’ll help you practice with it a bit before we leave, if you like.”

Wren placed her hand on the item in question, taking hold of it and holding it upright to compare its height to herself. It felt lightweight, even clumsily wrapped in the paper, which was good because it was quite long. Not too much for her to carry, but enough to be cumbersome. Finally, she unwrapped it, starting with the heavier end, revealing a crystal bauble on the end of the staff, the other end made of a lightweight wood. It was very simple, but that was all she needed.

“It’s perfect. Thank you,” said Wren, smiling widely.

“You’re gonna train her to use magic?” asked Merris, tilting his head at the weapon.

Twill’s mouth was full, and they frowned as they swallowed, quite enjoying the fish until that moment. “I’m glad you like it. And if I must teach her, then yes. I’m not really _advanced_ with magic myself, but I can certainly give a few tips that will make things easier. We can practice together, as long as we keep our energy up.”

“Casting usually takes a lot out of me,” said Wren honestly.

“With a conduit, it should be easier on you. You’ve been using yourself as one, essentially, until now. Of course you were putting strain on yourself. Now that you’ve got your own staff, things should go much smoother, and you’ll be able to focus on strengthening your spells.”

Wren smiled, touching the body of the staff gently, like she couldn’t wait to get started. Her fingertips felt tingly, and she held the staff closer to her body almost protectively.

“This means a lot,” she said. “Thank you for doing this for me.”

Twill waved their hand, nodding. They were once again engrossed in the fish, but they seemed to appreciate her gratitude. Maybe they were embarrassed, realized Wren.

“Do anything else interesting while we were gone?” asked Wren.

Swallowing, Twill nodded, glancing at her. “Not something I did, exactly, but I almost forgot. I heard something interesting in the market... I heard that there’s a man visiting from out of town. They say he’s been visiting all of the temples, lately. I think he must be some kind of expert, or... something, in order to be drumming up excitement among the religious in town.”

Wren thought for a moment. “I didn’t know there was anyone else with that much of an interest, to be called an expert... Maybe I should try to meet with him, before the boat leaves tomorrow. We’ve got until the afternoon, right?”

“Do you know how to find this man?” asked Merris, looking at Twill.

“Actually, I thought you might like to look into it and compare notes, or something of that nature, so I did inquire about him a little,” said Twill, smiling slyly. “They told me what he looks like, and his name. He doesn’t dress like he’s from around here, so he won’t be very hard to find.”

“What’s his name?” asked Wren.

“They said his name is Mobius,” they answered. “Supposedly he’s a man who isn’t much older than any of us, with long black hair, and glasses. Paired with his heavier clothing, he won’t be hard to spot.”

“Most of the islanders dress pretty sparingly,” said Wren, giggling. “Yeah, doesn’t sound like we’ll have a lot of trouble finding him if we ask around.”

“Tomorrow, right? We’d better hurry, and we’d better hope he’s still here,” said Merris.

“They said he just returned here from Besaid, and tomorrow he’s going to the temple before he leaves for the mainland,” replied Twill, eyeing the remainder of the fish. “We’ll have to be quick.”

Wren gave her new staff a little hug, grinning. “Alright. Tomorrow. Everyone make sure we’re packed up before we go back to the temple.”

-

The second trip to the temple was shorter, since they had navigated it before already. Everyone’s belongings had been left behind in the travel agency, ready to be collected before leaving the island, but they were still short on time. If they wanted to meet with this researcher, they had to be quick.

When they arrived at the temple, everything was exactly as the day before. The caretakers were going about their daily chores and rituals, and there was no one who fit the description that Twill had been given to be seen.

Wren approached a man who was tending to the fires burning in the temple. “I was here yesterday, you might remember. I was planning on leaving for Besaid today, but I was told there was a man who would be visiting today, named Mobius. Have you seen him?”

The man paused his work for only a moment to listen, stoking the flames as he answered. “I have been informed of his arrival, but he is not here yet. If you wait, he should arrive sometime soon. He came here a few days ago, on his way to Besaid, and I’m told he plans to be here only for a short while before departing as well, to Luca.”

“It seems to be a popular route lately,” murmured Twill.

Wren thanked the man, then turned back to her companions as he returned to working in silence.

“We can spare a few minutes… It’ll be a couple of hours before the boat arrives,” she said. “...I guess I don’t expect to speak with him for very long, especially since he’s here on his own business.”

“It’s fine,” said Twill, reassuringly.

“I wonder why they knew he was coming ahead of time,” said Merris, frowning.

Wren murmured in agreement, but continued standing patiently as she waited for the man to arrive. She wondered if it would be rude to ask, feeling a bit nosy, but now that it had been brought up, she wondered that as well.

Only a few minutes later, a heavily dressed man entered the main room of the temple. He had long, dark hair which he wore in a braid draped over his shoulder, and rectangular, silver wire glasses framing his eyes. His brightly colored cloak appeared to be connected to his sleeves somehow, which flowed down to his mid calves. The shirt he wore didn’t cover his midriff, instead being paired with a skirt of the same color that had a slit running up to his thigh, exposing most of his left leg.

He was notably barefoot, even though the sun beating down made the stones leading up to the temple rather hot.

This surprised Wren, since he was dressed warmly otherwise, apart from his bare middle. Maybe it was his way of cooling off? She didn’t know. Maybe he was just eccentric.

Before Wren had a chance to approach him, he greeted the temple’s head priest respectfully, but warmly, as if they were familiar. She saw him place something in the priest’s hands, which appeared to be a thick piece of paper. The man read it over for a few moments, then nodded, saying a few words to him that Wren couldn’t make out.

“I was surprised when you decided to indulge my whims for the sake of my research,” said Mobius, to Wren’s curiosity. “But this is a great honor, I truly appreciate being granted your permission to enter the sacred halls of the Cloister.”

Wren perked up at that, looking at him with widened eyes.

“You… you’re going into the Cloister of Trials?” she asked out loud, enough for him to hear.

The man who appeared to be Mobius turned to look at the source of the voice. “I have been granted special permission to enter, for my research. It’s not a privilege that’s given lightly.”

“Oh, I don’t mean to offend,” said Wren, shaking her head. “I’m sorry, it’s just that I’m surprised. I actually came here to speak with you, about my own research.”

The head priest spoke up this time. “She’s a sphere recorder who was here yesterday, asking questions about the pilgrimage.”

“Oh?” asked Mobius, tilting his head at her and her entourage. “You have an interest in the pilgrimage?”

Wren nodded eagerly. “I’m… working on a movie sphere about it. I’m traveling to the different temples and talking to people about the history of it. The tradition isn’t practiced anymore, now that we’ve entered the Eternal Calm, but I think it’s important to make sure its history is recorded.”

He seemed to think about this for a few moments, then turned to the priest once more. “I ventured to Besaid to obtain Lady Yuna’s blessing to enter the temple, but perhaps I could bring them along? There were issues with fiends a few years back, after all. I may need assistance in clearing a path for myself, if there are any still left inside.”

The priest scratched his neck absently while he thought it over, looking to the three of them.

“She may go by herself,” he said, gesturing to Wren. “But she may not take her recording equipment with her. Whatever you find, you use in your research, but the Cloister of Trials was not meant for the eyes of non-summoners. If you can aid him, you may enter.”

Wren put one hand over her heart in absolute shock, nodding. “I can help! I mean, if you need a hand with fiends, I can help. I know some magic…”

Mobius chuckled at her enthusiasm, then looked to the priest. “If she leaves her equipment behind, then. I will take her with me.”

Putting her hands on her face, Wren turned to the other two, absolutely giddy as she looked at them. She couldn’t find any words to speak as she tucked her pencil and paper into her belt, and removed her belt to pass to Merris. “Take care of this. I’ll be back when we’re done.”

“How long will it be before you’re finished?” Twill asked, looking at Mobius. “I don’t want to hurry you, but we’ll be on our way to Besaid, once the ferry arrives.”

“It shouldn’t be very long,” assured Mobius. “If I find nothing, we’ll be back shortly. You’ll make it in time for the ferry.”

Twill nodded, then turned to look at Wren again. “We’ll wait outside for you. Be careful in there.”

“I will,” said Wren, removing her staff from her back and clutching it tightly. “I’ll come back in one piece, I promise.”

She turned back to the two men, and bowed gratefully to the priest. “Thank you so much. I promise, I won’t do anything to disrespect the sanctity of the temple. I won’t even touch anything, if I can help it.”

Mobius smiled faintly, then nodded to the two of them. “Come along, then. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity for you.”

He started in the direction of the cloister, and Wren followed, gripping the staff gleefully as she passed the door into the sacred ground of the Cloister of Trials.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've drawn all of my original characters so far already, [so you can view all of them on my deviantart.](https://slingbees.deviantart.com/gallery/64363069/Path-of-a-Summoner) Twill is already a year old, and I've had them longer than I've been planning to write this fic, haha. I was thrilled to finally have something to do with them when the idea hit me.
> 
> Also, I'm aware of the existence of Mobius Final Fantasy, so having an FF FC with that name sounds weird, but I was thinking about the fact that they'd passed up the chance to use that name for a character in Spira, but maybe that was a little too on the nose, haha.


	5. Sea Change

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Into the cloister.

When the elevator descending into the Cloister stopped, the two were standing in the first chamber of the Trial. It was a small, stone room, lined with some sort of sphere based mechanism next to the door leading deeper into the Cloister, but the mechanism didn’t appear to be active. Everything was lifeless, and there were no spheres in sight, despite the mechanisms in place. The details of what lay inside the cloisters of the temples were meant only for summoners and their guardians, but Wren guessed that there was currently no trial in place at all, now that it had been abandoned.

Wren looked up at Mobius, who gestured to her politely.

“You don’t have to worry about taking care of me,” he said. “But I thought you might appreciate a closer look into this world.”

“Oh, wow, alright,” she laughed quietly. “I can defend myself well enough, but I’m really a beginner when it comes to magic, so I’m kind of relieved.”

“Don’t worry, I guessed as much.” He placed a hand against the moldings on the wall, tracing a few inches of the design embossed into the wall’s surface. “So, you’ve come to Kilika to do research? Are you a historian?”

“Not by profession,” admitted Wren, watching him curiously. “It’s more than a hobby to me, but I’m just a recorder from Luca stadium. I’m not a scholar or anything. And I’m not working with Yevon, either.”

“Interesting.” He turned his attention to the mechanism next to the door, which pointed down the path into the next room. As he started to walk, Wren followed behind him.

The Cloister was surprisingly well-lit. It was still dim, but they had no need for a torch as they entered the next room. The next chamber was smaller still, with more decorative carvings in the wall, but it seemed to be the sphere mechanism that held his attention the most.

“It’s a shame none of these Trials are active anymore, although it does make things simpler,” he said out loud, shaking his head. “Anyway… You decided to seek me out to aid your research?”  
  
“One of my... friends heard a rumor around town that you were here,” said Wren. “I’ve, uh, actually never heard of you, but there was a lot of excitement around town, apparently. They said you were researching here too. I was hoping to compare notes, but it looks like we might not have time, since we’re here, and both of us have separate ferries to catch. Still, I never thought I’d be standing in the Cloister of Trials.”

“I’m actually a bit surprised I managed to get permission myself,” he murmured, passing deeper into the trial. “It took a bit of convincing. Normally, only high ranking officials of Yevon are allowed inside, besides summoners. I spoke with High Summoner Yuna in Besaid, and told her about my mission. She was reluctant, but I believe she saw some value in my research, or the two of us _wouldn’t_ be here.”

“Of course, we’re technically here to make sure the temple doesn’t overflow with fiends,” he said. “But it is what it is.”

Wren tilted her head at him as she followed him, intrigued now. “What is your research for? I don’t mean to be rude, but I’m a little surprised you got permission to come here.”

They stood on one side of a much larger room now, which was divided by a gap in the floor, only a few feet deep, but several more across. Stairs led in and out of the pit on both sides of the gap, and looking down, the stone seemed to be scorched. What had this been for? She took the notepad from her belt and started making notes, doodling beside them on the page.

“Ah, you see. I’m conducting my own research into Yevon’s past,” said Mobius, visibly pleased with her interest. “I’m part of a small group of Yevonites who formed our own group after the church crumbled. We actually originally came from New Yevon, but that was short-lived.”

“I’ve never heard of this,” said Wren. “How long ago did this start?”

“Not too long ago, it’s only been a couple of years now, but our circle mostly keeps to itself,” he said. “Our leader had some disagreements about the way Praetor Baralai ran New Yevon... So our group relocated to Djose, actually. That’s where most of our supporters are based. I’ve done some work there, since the temple generates power to the town, but outside of our base of operations, obviously I can’t enter sacred ground so freely.”

“I heard there were more people settling down in Djose now,” said Wren. “I haven’t been since they started building. I used to travel with my mom, but after she died I stayed in Luca.”

Mobius looked at her sympathetically. “My condolences. But yes, there are new arrivals in Djose nearly every day. Construction is still being done, but it has grown quickly already. It was all thanks to the now disbanded machine faction, along with our leader, who acted as their benefactor. Since power to run the machina there is easy to come by, there have been some interesting advances in technology found only in Djose. Thanks, again, to the Al Bhed. Their work is really quite remarkable.”

“I’d like to see it sometime,” murmured Wren, smiling. “These days there are so many machina around, I feel a bit overwhelmed by what they can do now that Yevon isn’t forbidding everyone from using them.”

Mobius nodded and returned her glance, then descended the stairs to cross the gap in the room. “It’s difficult to ignore their presence now, certainly. Machina are becoming more present in our lives, and in Djose we are fairly reliant on them for help with the construction of the town. Our group can’t really afford to turn it down. Though some of us may choose not to operate the machines ourselves.”

Wren followed Mobius to the stairs leading to the final room before the Chamber of the Fayth. She looked around the lobby area, where guardians once waited for the return of their summoners from the Chamber of the Fayth, and seemed reluctant to continue on.

“Should we go inside?” she asked, almost awed. “We haven’t seen any fiends… Only summoners are allowed in the Fayth’s chamber, right?”

Mobius nodded, smiling. “There is no Fayth here anymore. If there were, the air would be filled with its song already. To those tasked with clearing fiends from the temple, the sanctity of the Fayth’s private chamber is lost, with no Fayth, and no summoners to commune with it. It is much the same in Djose.”

Wren made a small noise of compromise as her curiosity got the better of her, and when Mobius moved the sliding door to the chamber, she followed.

Inside was a gaping maw of a pit that when Wren looked inside, it seemed to lead into nothingness. A fine mist seeped out of it, filling the room and making the temperature much cooler than the trial chambers before it. “Is this where the fiends come from?”

“Exactly. Lady Yuna has told me that the pit leads to the Farplane itself, and that there is a similar pit in every temple in Spira,” he said, nodding. “This is where the Fayth’s statue once rested. Without it, there’s only the door to the realm of the pyreflies, and the dead find themselves in our world, where they become fiends. All of the temples are most likely connected in this way.”

Pyreflies floated on the mist that seemed to make the air tangible, despite remaining easy as ever to breathe, the lights illuminating their faces and the rest of the small chamber. Wren looked around the room curiously. “I don’t think I’ve seen so many in one place before.”

“The Fayth’s chamber in Djose is the same,” said Mobius. “When someone of considerable faith prays inside the chamber, the temple generates electricity. Our sect has a group of people dedicated to this duty, powering the town.”

“That’s amazing,” murmured Wren. “Even after Yevon lost so much of its following, the power of their belief is strong enough to supply power to everyone else. I can’t wait to see it when I visit Djose.”

“Ah, yes, your journey,” he said, glancing at her. “Perhaps we’ll meet there, when you arrive in Djose. I’ll extend an invitation to you personally; I have enough beds for you and your friends.”

As Wren was about to reply, the pyreflies suddenly shifted, swirling around one another. Something began to manifest before them, a weak figure appearing.

It almost looked like a person, with distinct limbs and even clothing, but it was faint, lacking a face, and continued to glow brightly with the light of the pyreflies that formed it. It became difficult to look at past the white light, and Wren had to shield her eyes to look at it. Just as it was nearly completed, its shape crumbled, unable to reform as a human.

Instead, its shape changed drastically to that of a monster, its head taking up the majority of its torso, and with great jaws filled with many, many teeth. Its shoulders were hunched at the top of its head, and a set of massive claws extended from both of its arms. Its eyes were beady and horrible, and as the light faded away, it was looking directly at the two of them with a hungry look.

Wren screamed, readying her staff even though she backed away from the beast, nearly at the door now. Mobius, however, stood his ground, revealing his own weapon: a trident that appeared almost to be made of glass.

Wren, with no proper idea of how to use her abilities, called forth fire, trying to imagine channeling it through her staff, which she directed at the beast. Her staff sparked, sending out weak flames that singed the creature’s side, causing it to screech in pain, but not causing it any noticeable harm.

The beast was backed against the edge of the pit into the Farplane, but it wasn’t budging, even as it reeled. It swiped at Mobius, then shouted, shooting powerful ice magic at him from its mouth. Mobius shielded his face from the cold, unable to see through the flurries of ice. He had to retreat out of its immediate range, sprinting around the pit.

The beast’s attacks seemed to be erratic; even as it aimed for Mobius, its screams echoing throughout the trial each time its ice magic chased the man, who was quicker than it could turn around the room. Mobius ended up behind the fiend, using this opportunity to ready his own magic.

The air felt thick as the head of Mobius’ trident started to glow. Droplets of moisture began to form from it, and the room rapidly became humid. This sudden change alarmed the beast, which whirled around to see the source of the light that was suddenly filling the room once again.

Water began to dance around Mobius now, and he drew a circle around his feet with the instrument as he channeled its magic.

“Kianpraty, I summon you!” he called, offering the trident to the ceiling.

Wren’s eyes widened as something else suddenly formed in the room with them.

It stood on four legs, and its shoulders were still taller than Mobius at full height, easily five or six feet. Its head looked much like a boar, with large tusks, it’s body like a hippopotamus, with thick, shaggy fur, like moss. Its feet ended in thick, padded claws, and its tail was long and bushy, like a mix between a horse’s and a dog’s. The creature known as Kianpraty roared, and Mobius reached out to touch its side, almost comfortingly as he stroked its fur.

The fiend, bewildered, let out a roar, throwing its claws back as it made itself appear threatening. It was ready to charge at Mobius and his creature, stepping back to gain some momentum.

Kianpraty readied magic of its own, opening its jaws. It inhaled sharply, and the humidity was suddenly sucked out of the air, the room growing dry as a bone, as a ball of energy formed between its great tusks. A blast of scalding water fired from the orb, directly hitting the beast before them, searing its flesh. The fiend let out a hideous, high pitched tone as it was blasted away, melting once more into hundreds of pyreflies which dissipated back into the mist of the Farplane.

Mobius stroked Kianpraty’s mossy hide once more, then dismissed it. Kianpraty turned its head to him, nuzzling gently with its cheek, before bursting into pyreflies once more. Mobius seemed unfrazzled by the ordeal, compared to Wren, who was very much frazzled.

“That was unexpected,” he said, almost amused.

“You-” said Wren, gesturing at him with both hands, her staff pointed directly at him. “What in the world was that?! Did you just _summon?”_

The man turned to look at her, almost surprised by her reaction. “I did. I am a ranking official of my sect, and I am a summoner.”

“How could you-- All of the Fayth vanished when Lady Yuna defeated Sin!” she said, waving her arms.

“It’s a trade secret, you could say. Necessary for our cause,” he said firmly. “I’m sorry to have caused you any alarm, but I didn’t have time to warn you.”

“I’m... shocked,” she said, shaking her head. “I thought it was impossible… Do Fayth really still exist? Are there more we don’t know about, like the Fayth rumored to be inside that cave near the Calmlands?”

“The stolen Fayth has vanished as well, but this Aeon is a creation of my own. Followers of Yevon willingly gave their lives for our cause, allowing new Fayth statues to be created,” said Mobius, touching the length of the trident tenderly.

“People have to die for them to be created, don’t they?” asked Wren, still shaking her head in disbelief. “What cause do you stand for? What’s going on?”

“We simply want to preserve the nature of Spira,” he said, looking at her. “We exist to protect it. If anything rises up to harm the people of Spira, we will ensure there will always be someone to defend against it. That is what we believe in.”

“Protection?” she asked, slowly calming down. At least the shaking finally stopped. “That’s still incredible… I don’t believe it.”

“That is what we have deemed necessary in order to keep Spira at peace,” he said. “Remember, an Aeon cannot be created from an unwilling soul. Kianpraty was once a member of our sect as well, and he decided this himself, to protect the people of Spira. We would never dream of forcing that on someone.”

Wren nodded. “Yeah, I understand, I think. I’m just… surprised. That’s still amazing. Your bond must have been strong, for you to have created an Aeon like that. Do you mind if I take notes?”

“No, by all means, that is part of why I invited you to come with me,” said Mobius, smiling. “Write whatever you like about anything you’ve seen here. I believe what you’re doing is important. Part of my goal is to impart knowledge that previously belonged only to Yevon to the people of Spira. Our history must be known.”

“Sounds like I have your endorsement,” she said, laughing.

Mobius laughed in agreement, then turned away from the pit, beginning to exit the chamber. “I think I’ve seen all I need to, for now. It seems just the same as Djose, but this was remarkable nonetheless. I hope this was helpful to your research in some way.”

“Absolutely,” she started to say, but stopped.

Something else rose out of the mist where the fiend had vanished, glowing a bit brighter than the other pyreflies. It seemed to be larger, like a cluster of pyreflies, but somehow, Wren had a bad feeling about it. Mobius didn’t seem to see it as he started to step through the doorway leading back into the lobby area of the Cloister.

It was looming towards Mobius, and Wren whispered at him to get his attention, unsure of what to think.

“Is it another fiend?” she asked, quietly.

Before Mobius could answer, the cluster of pyreflies suddenly charged at him, rushing towards him without warning.

“Watch out!” called Wren, dropping her staff.

She lunged at him, throwing her full weight at him and knocking him to the ground. His breath hitched, as she knocked the wind out of him, and she felt a sharp pain in her back as she took the full blast from the pyreflies flowing through her. She gasped from the pain, feeling dizzy and sick at once.

Mobius wheezed as he sat up on the temple’s floor. The pyreflies had vanished, and despite that he hadn’t seen what happened before she’d tackled him to the ground, he worked out quickly what had happened. He removed her from his person to get to his feet, rubbing his sore spots where he’d collided with the ground.

“What have you done?” he asked, looking down at her.

She didn’t respond, staring, dazed, back at him. She tried to sit up, but was too weak, succeeding only in curling up tighter. Her eyes were wide, as if she saw nothing around her, but she managed to turn her eyes towards the man. It was like her body couldn’t contain the terror she felt, a trembling mess.

He looked away, as if trying to think of what to do from here. Shaking his head in disbelief, he knelt beside her. “I’m going to carry you back to your friends. They will have to take care of you from there, but the people here in the temple should be able to help you.”

He scooped her up in his arms, something Wren only barely felt. She could feel the warmth of his cloak against her as he lifted her, and the motion as he carried her through the cloister, but she couldn’t keep her eyes open anymore. Her nerves were shot, and she could hardly keep her eyes open.

She was only barely aware of Mobius speaking to someone, and other alarmed voices calling out to her.

No sooner than she allowed her eyes to close, she was out, lying completely still in his arms.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Excited and nervous about this chapter, since it turned out much longer than some of the others combined. After this, it will probably go back down to only being a couple of pages long at a time lmao.
> 
> View my art of my characters at [my deviantart.](https://slingbees.deviantart.com/gallery/64363069/Path-of-a-Summoner)


	6. Welcome Back

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Trading information on the road to Besaid.

Wren woke up in a bed, but she didn’t recognize the room when she opened her eyes. Her vision was blurred, but after blinking a few times, the world came back into focus.

“She’s waking up,” said Merris’ voice.

Wren could hear feet shuffling around the room, and she slowly started to sit up. It wasn’t the travel agency, she realized. She was still at the temple, in one of the rooms underground that housed refugees and the sick and injured.

“How do you feel?” asked Twill, kneeling down beside the low bed she was lying on.

“Groggy,” said Wren, holding her head a little. Her eyes felt a little sore, a small headache coming over her. “Wow. How long was I out? Did we miss the boat?”

Twill shifted to the side. “Yes, unfortunately we’ve been here ever since Mobius brought you back. It’s noon, you’ve been unconscious for almost a day.”

“I’m sorry,” mumbled Wren. “I was completely in shock, I couldn’t even move or speak… That’s the last thing I remember.”

“What happened to you in the Cloister?” asked Merris, frowning. “You were already unconscious when that man brought you here, but he didn’t have much to offer when we asked what happened. He said you were attacked by something…?”

Wren shook her head slowly. “Uh, yeah, we were attacked by a fiend. There’s this big pit in the Chamber of the Fayth, where the Fayth stone used to be, apparently… He said it was connected to the Farplane, and then a huge fiend showed up, and he took care of it.”

She glanced to the cleric who was watching over the room from the doorway, deciding to keep the summoning bit to herself for now. She was having trouble thinking clearly, but she had a feeling she should assess the situation herself before saying something right in front of followers of Yevon.

“After it disappeared… the pyreflies that came from it reformed into a big blob of them, like one big floating lantern,” she mumbled, shaking her head. “It didn’t look dangerous, but it went straight for Mobius, so I pushed him out of the way, so it hit me instead. I don’t know what happened.”

Twill frowned at that, but found themself nodding anyway. “I’ve never known pyreflies to behave that way. Will you be alright?”

“I should be fine,” said Wren. “I just feel like I slept for way too long. Whatever happened down there, I feel just fine, apart from that. It’s… kind of weird, actually.”

“I’m glad you’re alright though; we weren’t sure what to do,” said Merris, nudging Twill a little. “We’ve been here watching you with help from the people at the temple.”

“Yeah, I’m sorry,” Wren said again, smiling. “I definitely don’t want to leave you guys stranded out here. But I’m alright, and we can still catch the next ferry, right?”

She paused, looking around the room. “What happened to Mobius?”

Merris pursed his lips, shaking his head just a little. “He had his own ferry to catch. I guess he was in a hurry, because he brought you here, talked to the head priest for a few minutes about what had happened, and then told us he was leaving.”

Wren turned her body so she could stand up out of the bed, and did so a little shakily, but she managed it. Her head was spinning, but it would pass. “That’s fine, I didn’t really expect him to stay. Apparently, he’s pretty busy.”

“I’m just surprised he’s walking around on his own so far from Djose,” said Merris.

“What do you mean?” asked Twill.

“He’s the leader of that group in Djose. The one that took over after the machine faction split up,” he said, shrugging. “Respira. You’ve never heard of them?”

Twill frowned. “No, I haven't been through Djose recently myself. I passed through without stopping in the town, but I've heard of the group before. I had no idea that was him.”

“He’s their leader?” asked Wren, blinking. “He talked about it, but I didn’t realize… I don’t know much about it.”

“I don’t know that much either, just that they exist, and his name and face,” admitted Merris. “Their focus is on creating a place of respite for the people of Spira, or… something. They’re supposed to be a group dedicated to the planet and its people.”

“Mobius was friendlier than I expected him to be,” he added. “He seems to like spending time in the public eye.”

Wren was still holding her head, frowning. She was beginning to process everything that had recently happened since they arrived at the temple the day before. Getting to see the inside of the temple wasn’t quite as magical of an experience as she had thought. Of course, it was an accident, but paired with her headache, she was beginning to feel a bit negative.

“We should start moving, if Wren is feeling alright,” said Twill. “We have a bit of time before the next ferry arrives, it should be enough to get back and get our things, and get something for Wren to eat before we head out.”

“I am pretty hungry,” Wren said out loud, as if she’d just realized. “You guys are probably hungry too.”

“We had dinner here at the temple,” said Twill, a bit sheepish. “And breakfast. Since we stayed here with you overnight.”

“Oh, I get it,” she said. “I guess we’d better stop by the market then. I can make it back, don’t worry.”

 

* * *

 

After a few minutes of making sure Wren was really fit enough to make the journey back into town, they departed from the temple. They collected their things, explored the market one last time, then paid their fare to board the S.S. Liki.

Wren decided to stay below deck this time, still feeling a bit achy. Apart from whatever strange thing had happened to her, she _had_ tackled a man to the ground. Her headache was clearing up, but she had earned herself a few bruises in the process of shielding Mobius from the strange pyreflies.

Twill and Merris stayed with her below deck as well. The tense air was finally lightening after that scare, but none of them were in the mood to socialize with the other passengers.

Wren sat with her legs pulled up to her chest, leaning on her knees while she thought. “...I didn’t mention it at the temple, but when Mobius defeated that monster in the temple… He used an aeon.”

“Are you sure?” asked Twill. “You didn’t hit your head, did you?”

Wren shook her head. “No, definitely not. Everything’s kinda fuzzy; I still feel a little sick, but I know what I saw. He called it… Kianpraty. It was huge, like a big stone shoopuf, all covered in moss.”

“That isn’t one of the temple aeons,” said Twill, frowning deeply. “Is he creating his own Fayth?”

“He said so himself. He said his followers dedicate their lives to the cause,” said Wren.

“Well… it’s true that you can’t force someone to become a Fayth, isn’t it?” asked Merris.

“It's true that the Fayth determine who they deem worthy to lend their power to, but... Still, what does he need such power for?” asked Twill. “What is it Respira believes they’re protecting everyone from, exactly?”

Wren didn’t have an answer. Neither did Merris. The three of them shared a few moments of perplexed silence.

“You should rest, if you still feel unwell,” said Twill. “You slept for a long time, but your body hasn’t recovered.”

Twill placed one hand on Wren’s shoulder, then smoothed her hair gently, somehow making her feel a little better. They were still only acquaintances, but Wren had heard that the Guado were sensitive to things that couldn’t be seen, like the emotions of others. Twill seemed particularly empathetic; they had been looking out for her since the two of them had met, after all.

After a moment, Twill paused, their expression a slight frown as they pulled their hand away. “...You did say it was the pyreflies that attacked you, didn’t you?”

Wren looked at them oddly. “Yes, why?”

“That explains it,” said Twill, nodding as their expression turned thoughtful. “You still have an air of the Farplane around you. I didn’t notice right away.”

“What does that mean? Is it bad?” asked Wren.

“No, no, it’s nothing. In addition to the pyreflies, you were in the innermost sanctum of the temple at the time, it’s likely that some of that energy rubbed off on you,” said Twill, shaking their head. “Once you’ve had time to fully recover, that will return to normal as well.”

Wren smiled a little. “Glad it isn’t serious.”

She couldn’t see their face, but she could see the corners of Twill’s eyes crease slightly as they returned her smile, a gesture that comforted her greatly.

“I’ll just stay here until we arrive in Besaid,” said Wren. “Thanks for looking out for me, you two.”

“That’s what we’re here for,” snorted Merris, smiling.

Wren stretched out on the floor beside the two of them, looking up at the wooden ceiling. She was still pretty worn out, despite feeling fine otherwise. She had no idea how she was going to get to sleep that night, however.

At least she could relax for awhile, before the ship docked.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a little longer, but a little slow. Sorry about that, haha.
> 
> Respira is pronounced like "respiratory," by the way. 
> 
> As always, my gallery featuring art of these characters can be seen [here.](https://slingbees.deviantart.com/gallery/64363069/Path-of-a-Summoner)


	7. Besaid

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The party makes their way to the village of Besaid.

Wren must have managed to doze off at some point during the trip, only realizing this because she found herself waking up. She pulled herself off the floor, realizing that the groggy feeling had vanished. She felt considerably better, to her surprise.

There was Twill, right beside her, and Merris had vanished once more, it seemed.

“Merris went to the upper deck,” said Twill, nodding to her. “I get the feeling he doesn’t like closed spaces. He stayed for longer than I thought he would, but he came back a few minutes ago to tell us we’ll be docking soon. I was just about to wake you, actually.”

“We’re… here already?” asked Wren.

“It probably seems like a shorter trip when you can sleep through the whole thing,” said Twill, chuckling. “But yes, we’ll be on the beach of Besaid island shortly.”

It didn’t quite feel real to Wren, though she couldn’t decide why. She felt like something odd had happened to her while she slept, like she’d had a dream that she just couldn’t remember. Images that came to mind were glowing lights, an unfamiliar city skyline, and a night sky illuminated so brightly that she could hardly see any stars.

Those images started to fade as she heard a bell ringing from the upper deck. She got to her feet slowly, gathering her bag, then looked to Twill, who was already standing.

“I guess we’d better get ready to go,” said Twill. “Merris took his things with him. I guess he expected to spend most of the trip there.”

Twill collected their things as Wren passed it to them, then turned to the door to head up the stairs.

The voices of the crew rose up as they pulled into the dock. It was much smaller than the docks of Luca, which Wren has expected, but it was so peaceful. The S.S. Liki was the only ferry between the two islands, and the only other boats were a couple of fishing boats used off the coast, and Wren could still see them in the distance away from the island.

As expected, Merris was quick to catch up with the two of them as they stood on the deck. They stood at the railing, looking at the beach as the gangplank was lowered. Finally, they could deboard, and wasted no time in doing so.

Wren’s legs still felt wobbly once she was on dry land, still expecting the heavy sway of the waves rocking the boat. It almost felt like she’d never get used to being on solid ground again, but she knew better.

“Feeling better?” asked Merris, as they crossed the soft white sand of the beach.

The sand started to fade into tall grass, as the forest started ahead of them. A clear path was cut through the land, even marked off with a thin rope railing to mark the cliff’s edge as they climbed.

“Oh yeah, I feel a lot better,” said Wren. “I’ve still got some bruises, but I’m fine. I feel amazing.”

“That’s good. It’s a bit of a trek before we reach the village, I’m told,” said Twill, laughing softly. “As long as we stick to the path, we should be able to find our way.”

Unfortunately, there was a slight complication. There was a very small crowd forming on the path ahead of them, and Wren recognized some of them as passengers from the boat.

As they approached, a couple of them turned to look at the newcomers, worried expressions on their face. One of them put a finger to their lips silently, using the other hand to point at what was blocking their way.

A large fiend shaped like a wild dog lie in the middle of the path, apparently asleep. It didn’t look like too much to handle for an experienced fighter, but the group was mostly comprised of tourists. It was no wonder none of them knew what to do.

Merris stepped forward, motioning to the other two.

“We’ll take care of it,” he said quietly, nodding to the small group that was anxiously waiting.

“Someone already ran for help,” said one of the tourists, a woman. “We can wait for them to come back.”

The three of them hadn’t been passed by anyone on the trail, so it seemed the person that had been sent ahead had gone to the village.

“The three of us can handle it,” said Twill reassuringly. “We’ve been traveling together for a short time now, but have already encountered fiends such as this one. As long as you all stay back here where you are, we can clear the path.”

Wren nodded fervently, reaching for her staff.

The group seemed to agree that it would save time, if they could take care of it, murmuring between themselves, all of them slowly migrating back even farther to stay out of their way.

As the three of them moved towards the fiend, Twill nodded to Wren. “It will be good practice for you. Focus on channeling your mana through the staff. It’s something you must feel.”

“I’ll do my best,” said Wren.

She felt her hands slip a little, palms sweating from nervousness, and had to keep telling herself that she would be fine. Twill kept assuring her that they and Merris could take care of things if she was struggling, but she wanted to learn from this experience too. Even if she couldn’t be the biggest help, she was going to learn.

Twill stepped forward first, delivering a jolt of lightning which woke the dingo quickly, the creature yelping and snarling as it started to its feet. They had its attention now.

A faster opponent than others he had fought, Merris had to keep up with it, his footwork fast enough to let him land a hit or two on it, but he had to stand clear in order to allow the other two to cast.

The dingo shook itself out, growling, and barreled towards them, its gaze settling on Wren as it charged her.

Wren raised her staff this time with confidence, readying herself. She hardly had time to think before she acted, the fiend moving far too quickly for that, but she did as Twill said, focusing as she had before.

As she cleared her mind, visualizing fire expelled from her staff surrounding the fiend, it happened. Fire, much stronger flames than before, erupted around the fiend. It was contained, not wild and grasping like her previous attempts had been, even as weak as her magic had been. The sheer amount of energy that was charging through her fingertips was almost shocking compared to her last attempt. She could feel it, just as Twill had instructed. The spell that she’d materialized was stronger than her beginner’s fire magic.

The fiend was severely burned, and before it could reach the three of them, it exploded into the same pyreflies Wren was accustomed to. Feathery, friendly, almost melancholy as they danced. Not like the cluster that had attacked her.

Twill’s eyes were somewhat wider than before as they looked at Wren, clearly impressed, but they said nothing. The spear from their back was removed as they prepared to send the banished spirit.

The pyreflies were dispersed quickly, and the tourists from the ferry finally relaxed, for the most part.

Merris gestured to the group, waving at them. “It’s safe to cross, but we’re gonna go on ahead to make sure there are no other fiends on the trail.”

Satisfied with that, both Wren’s group and the others began making progress towards the small town once again.

“You must have gotten some good practice in against that thing in the temple,” said Merris, ruffling Wren's hair playfully.

“I really didn’t,” she said, almost embarrassed as she smoothed her hair back into place. “I really didn’t do anything, I managed a fire spell, since that’s really all I know, but I didn’t do anything to it. Except maybe tickle it a little, but that’s it… It’s just because I did what Twill said. Besides… the thing I saw in the temple was a lot stronger than that fiend.”

“It was still impressive,” commented Twill, seeming pleased. “Perhaps we can work on other elemental spells as well, from here.”

“I’d like that,” said Wren. “I know you guys are supposed to be protecting me, but I want to pull my own weight too. If I can get strong enough that we can be a team instead of you just acting as my bodyguards…”

They came up over the last hill, looking down on the village cradled by the land.

Wren reached into her bag to take out her recording equipment, taking a decent shot of the village from above before the tourists caught up to them. Below, she could see people moving from hut to hut, going about their daily lives. The village seemed peaceful, almost lazy, an air as if it hadn’t changed in hundreds of years.

Of course, Wren knew that atmosphere must have been different, now that the village had a high summoner, several of her guardians, and a blitzball star to boot living in it. Clearly it attracted more visitors than it once had, but it was still a sleepy, pleasant little town.

Wren put her camera away after a few minutes, smiling to herself.

No matter what happened, she had made it here, and that’s what was important. Even if they turned her away at the door, that was fine with her. She still had more places to go, and more to see to complete her work. It was the love of the journey, for her.

Still, it didn’t hurt to hope that she could see Lady Yuna in person.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm starting to realize that it might be beneficial for me to at least view the cutscenes for Last Mission, but after finishing the games I wasn't really feeling Another 100 floor dungeon crawl, and I really do plan on playing it One Day ;;u;; I struggled enough with Via Infinito and managed to create an alternate universe where YRP enter the labyrinth and never come back out (my last save was at one of the boss floors and I lost my save data/had to start the entire game over in the middle of chapter 5), so I haven't ever wanted to pick it back up.
> 
> This is more of a ramble than a note, haha. 
> 
> View my related art [here.](https://slingbees.deviantart.com/gallery/64363069/Path-of-a-Summoner)


	8. Yuna

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The party meets some familiar faces, and learns things they probably shouldn't.

The village wasn’t as busy as Wren was used to, but it was still lively. There were people working at their crafts, managing their small shops from their own homes… It was interesting to her, who was used to one of the largest cities in Spira, even before settling down in Luca.

Those little homes were scattered everywhere in clusters, huddled close together, as if you could feel the sense of community of the people living here. Everyone seemed to know each other, which was hardly a surprise given the size of the village.

“Should we start at the temple?” asked Wren, looking up at Twill as the three of them stood in the center of the town.

“For a high summoner? That would probably be the most likely place to start,” they said, thinking. “But that woman, Dona, said that we would have to speak to Lady Yuna’s guardians before seeing her. If I remember correctly, one of her guardians is the current mayor. We should probably seek an audience with her first.”

Wren gave a hum of agreement, and their search began. The village was small, and it took hardly any time to be pointed in the direction of the mayor’s home.

Merris was the one who stood outside, knocking on the side of the doorway gently with the back of his hand.

“Come in,” said a woman’s voice from inside, followed by the ecstatic laughter of a small child.

Merris gestured to the other two for them to go in, then followed behind.

“Pardon the intrusion,” said Wren, meekly.

Inside was a woman, dressed in all black, with dark hair that was tied up in braids in the back and bangs falling over her eyes, and the young, redheaded child she was tending to, who looked to be no more than four at the most. She had filled a small tub with water and was in the middle of bathing the boy, who seemed to love the water more than he didn’t want his bath.

“Are you tourists here for an audience with Lady Yuna?” asked Lulu, without looking up from her work. “You must know there are dozens of people every day with the same intention. Do you believe the high summoner has the time to meet with all of you?”

Wren was surprised by how little the woman held back, but such an answer was exactly what she had expected, anyway.

“We are here to see Yuna, but I wouldn’t say we’re exactly tourists…” she said. “I’m a sphere recorder from Luca, and I was hoping to interview Lady Yuna for a movie sphere I’m putting together about the pilgrimage. If she has no time for an interview, then I was hoping that at least she might know how to point me in the right direction.”

This time Lulu looked up, trying her best to hold the squirming child still as he splashed in the water. “Lady Yuna’s fiance has returned from Luca recently, and she will be spending most of her time with him until the blitzball season starts once again. She has no time for interviews or official statements, and has requested not to be involved in politics.”

Wren looked to the others, fidgeting with her hands anxiously.

Merris spoke up. “You are Dame Lulu, aren’t you? One of Lady Yuna’s guardians? When we passed through Kilika Port, we stopped by the temple there as well. Wren here got some footage of the temple, spoke with the priest, who pointed us in the direction of a former summoner living in Kilika. Her name is Dona, and--”

“And you thought that mentioning the name of a former summoner here would get you an audience,” said Lulu, shaking her head.

The child laughed, reaching his little fingers to grab Lulu’s nose. “Mama, don’t be mean.”

“Hush, Vidina,” Lulu said softly, her voice nasal as the child pinched her nose shut. She was smiling as she nudged his hand away from her face.

“Actually, we met someone else in Kilika too,” said Merris, rubbing the back of his neck as he shook off her dismissal. “You know Mobius, the leader of Respira in Djose? When we visited the temple looking for him, he said that he had met with Lady Yuna, and that she gave him written permission to enter the temple’s inner cloister.”

Lulu’s attention had been caught this time, and she clicked her tongue in distaste almost. “That man…”

“What about him?” asked Wren.

“Oh, it’s nothing. Actually, when he arrived here in Besaid and requested to meet Yuna, I turned him down. Groups like those are exactly what Yuna is trying to avoid. They’re so wrapped up in their own politics, and use people like her to solve their problems for them,” said Lulu, lifting Vidina out of the water finally and wrapping him in a thick towel to dry him off. “But when I told Yuna, she herself asked to meet him, for some reason. When I asked why, she said ‘something about him just interested her.’”

“He’s definitely interesting,” she added, frowning. “A man who uses no title in his group, yet marches around Spira unguarded, like he thinks the common people are quaint and precious. But apparently, the reason he came all the way out here from Djose was for some greater purpose he has an interest in. Whatever it was, Yuna allowed him into the temple, on the condition that he take care of the fiends inside.”

“For the upkeep of the temple, right?” asked Wren, nodding eagerly. “He asked that I come with him in Kilika, for ‘support.’ I was there too.”

“Were you?” asked Lulu, looking at her. “Well, no one forbade him from bringing anyone along to assist him, so it’s just as well, I suppose. You don’t seem like you’re a part of that group of his, though.”

“No, we aren’t,” said Twill, shaking their head. “We are only here for her interest in recording the history of the pilgrimage. It was just a coincidence that Mobius took an interest in her as well.”

Lulu gave a short ‘hmm,’ looking down at her son once more, who was eager to get away already. She patted his shoulder, then held the towel up around him as she passed him his clothes to put on. “Get dressed, then you may go play. Just remember that if you come back covered in mud again, it will be back into the tub with you.”

Vidina whined as he pulled his clothes on clumsily, with help from Lulu, then took off running the moment she put the towel away, darting between the legs of Wren and her companions to escape the hut.

Lulu stood up finally, stretching her back. She looked at the group again, taking a seat on the bed. “What did you see inside the temple, Wren from Luca?”

Wren blinked in surprise as the attention was turned back to her. She tilted her head as she thought of what to say. “There was a huge fiend inside the temple… Like the ones you see on the Highroad. Mobius took care of it himself… sort of. He summoned an aeon to fight for him…”

The woman’s eyes went wide for a moment. “That should be impossible. The aeons of the temple Fayth were destroyed by us when Lady Yuna defeated Sin, to prevent any of them from being used by Yu Yevon to recreate Sin once again.”

“It wasn’t a temple aeon,” said Wren, shaking her head. “It was something he created himself, he said.”

“That is troubling,” said Lulu, shaking her head once again. “...Perhaps you should tell Yuna this yourself. The implications are worrying, at the very least, but she will certainly want to hear what he’s been up to.”

“My husband will be in the temple, waiting for Yuna and Tidus to return from the inner part of the temple,” said Lulu, getting to her feet. “Speak to him, and he will allow you inside.”

“Thank you,” said Wren, bowing deeply in respect. “I’ll tell Lady Yuna as much as I can.”

Lulu waved them along, smiling faintly. “Good luck with your work, as well.”

When the three of them left the hut, they turned to each other, a little confused.

“What was it she said about the aeons, and Yevon?” asked Merris.

“I don’t know, I didn’t really understand that part either,” said Wren, frowning.

“They destroyed the aeons… They didn’t just disappear,” said Twill. “But I don’t know what she meant about Yu Yevon, and Sin. Is that how Sin returned every time it was defeated?”

“I have a feeling this isn’t information we’re supposed to have,” mumbled Merris, shaking his head.

“I’ve sort of been feeling like that ever since Mobius summoned his aeon,” said Wren, laughing nervously. “Let’s just carry on like we have been… If it’s anything to be worried about, then Lady Yuna will take care of it.”

They seemed to agree between themselves silently as they moved towards the temple. They hadn’t really been worried before, but Lulu’s no nonsense attitude made them feel like they should have been. Hardly out of the gate and they were already in unfamiliar and potentially dangerous territory.

When they entered the temple, there was a man standing beside the Cloister’s entrance, a little on the heavy side, but he certainly didn’t look like a member of the clergy, with his overalls and unusual hairstyle. It was a brighter red, but it did somewhat resemble the color of Vidina’s hair, however.

“Sorry, but are you Dame Lulu’s husband?” asked Wren, approaching him. “She said to come speak to you about seeing Lady Yuna.”

“Lulu sent you?” asked the man, raising an eyebrow. “She’s very picky about who gets to see Yuna. How come she chose you?”

“You’re Sir Wakka?” she asked. “I told her about an incident that happened when I met Mobius, who was here a couple of days ago, and she told me that Lady Yuna should be informed, and that I could find you here.”

Wakka scratched at the slight, stubbly goatee he had, crinkling his nose while he thought. “Yeah… I remember him. Doesn’t surprise me that someone in charge of a group like that might have something shady going on, but it’s nothing I keep up with anymore. If Lu sent you to talk to Yuna, then I guess you’d better go in.”

“Just like that?” asked Wren, blinking.

Wakka nodded, putting his hands on his hips. “Sure. I don’t mean to brag, but I like to think I’m pretty good at telling when I’m being lied to. ‘Specially when it comes to my family. You go on in. Just don’t cause any trouble, or you’ll have to deal with those two.”

Wren thanked him, before moving into the Cloister of Trials.

It was still surprising to be allowed inside, but some of the charm had worn off since her last experience. At least Twill and Merris were here this time as well, even though Twill balked somewhat, feeling out of place. Merris had no such qualms, walking casually behind Wren.

It didn’t take long to find the high summoner and her fiance, either. They were inside the Chamber of the Fayth, which was a little closer to the entrance than the one in Kilika had been, Wren noted.

The couple looked awfully confused about the arrival of three strangers inside the Cloister of Trials, something that wasn’t normally allowed, however.

“Lady Yuna!” said Wren, bowing. It actually felt a little strange, meeting the woman she looked up to so much, in such a situation that she _had_ to appear apologetic for entering the sacred grounds of the temple. “Your guardians sent me to speak to you. I’m sorry to bother you.”

She looked up at her from where she was bowing, then stood up. There was Yuna, looking almost the same as she had when she began her pilgrimage.  Her hair was long now, longer than it had been when Wren had seen her in recordings, and even when she had filmed the concert she put on in Luca stadium only a couple of years earlier.

Yuna looked a little embarrassed at Wren’s display, looking to the man beside her, who had medium length dirty blond hair, tied back with a red bandana. Wren recognized him as Sir Tidus.

“Hey, aren’t you that camera girl from Luca?” he asked, putting his hands on his hips and tilting his head at her.

“Oh!” Wren rubbed at her cheek, eyes wide for a moment as she laughed with surprise. “Sorry--yeah, that’s me. I’m Wren, I work at the stadium. I didn’t think you’d remember me…”

“Sure, I’ve seen you in the wings before games before. What are you doing here?” asked Tidus.

“It’s the off season, so I’m taking some time off too,” she said, laughing quietly. “I’m making a movie sphere about the summoners, so I’m doing a little research. Traveling, talking to people… You know? I’m not very good at defending myself though, so I brought these two along. This is Twill, and Merris.”

Wren shook her head quickly. “Oh, but that isn’t actually why I’m here _now_. I mentioned that to Dame Lulu and she was going to turn me away. She told me to come here because I ran into Mobius in Kilika. I’m supposed to tell you about what happened when I met him, Lady Yuna.”

Yuna looked at Wren now. “Me? What happened?”

“Well, when I went to Kilika, I met him on the second day I was there, when I was supposed to depart to come here, but he invited me to go with him into the temple, to… Take care of the fiends, like you asked him,” she said, nodding. “There weren’t many, but when we found one, it was pretty big. I mentioned that I’m not really much of a fighter, so he did most of the work, but he summoned an aeon of his own to do it.”

Yuna’s expression was stunned for a moment, as she looked at the floor. “It can’t be… Has he created more aeons?”

“He told me himself that his organization has more of them, with people willing to give their lives for their cause,” she said. “But… When I spoke to Dame Lulu, she said something about destroying the aeons, to… protect them from Yu Yevon?”

“She did?” asked Yuna. “She must be worried too… I gave him permission to enter the temple, but I didn’t know they would do such a thing… I’m not sure what to think of this. Creating an aeon is… complicated. The aeon must be created from someone who gives their life willingly… But I’m sure you already know that.”

“This isn’t exactly common knowledge, but Sin was actually a summon, created by Yu Yevon, the most powerful summoner of his time,” said Yuna, frowning. “Each time a summoner used their final aeon to defeat Sin, the spirit of Yu Yevon would possess the aeon, and use it to kill the summoner. Then, from that aeon, it created a new Sin, to protect itself. That is why the final summon was so dangerous, and why I had to find a way to do it without giving Sin a chance to be reborn from someone who gave their life to defeat it.”

Wren’s expression fell. “That’s why Sin always came back?”

“Afraid so,” said Tidus. “My old man, Jecht, was Braska’s guardian, and he became his final aeon… And Sin, after that. The last one.”

“...I’m not supposed to know any of this, am I?” asked Wren, glancing to the other two beside her with her eyes.

“No, but as long as you already have part of the truth, you’ll have questions.” said Yuna, shaking her head. “...You probably shouldn’t tell anyone what you know about Mobius either. If it isn’t public information, it might be dangerous. I would never order anyone to stay silent, but be very careful about who you tell these things to from now on.”

Twill, Wren, and Merris glanced at each other with uncertainty, then nodded.

“What about Respira?” asked Merris. “I have a sister in Djose… It’s been a while since I’ve heard from her. I don’t think she’s in any danger… Or, I didn’t, until this started. I don’t know how involved with Respira she is, but if this is what they’re up to…”

“You’re worried about her,” said Yuna, nodding understandingly. “...I don’t know. I don’t know enough to know what should be done about it, if anything. I’ll keep an eye out for their activities… And if you hear anything on your travels, I hope you’ll keep in touch.”

“I don’t want to end up wrapped up in all of this, but if the people in this room are the only ones who know about it, something might be coming,” she said, frowning. “Can I count on you to keep me updated? I’m not asking you to involve yourselves… Just to keep open ears."

“If we hear anything, we’ll definitely write,” said Wren.

“You can use the CommSphere,” said Yuna. “A couple of years ago, I was traveling on an airship with a kid who’s pretty much a genius. He invented a communicator using a sphere, so you can see and hear anyone using the CommSphere instantly. We put them up around Spira, but most of them were lost or destroyed. I still have a spare, though, so you can have that one, and contact me if you find anything.”

“Really?” asked Wren. “That’s pretty incredible. A kid built something like that? How old is he?”

“Well, he’s only a little younger than you now, actually,” said Yuna, laughing. “But it is pretty amazing. Sometimes I sneak off to go back to the airship for a little while at a time. It’s a lot of fun. He’s still inventing, but the CommSphere is still precious to me.”

“You should tell her about what happened after Mobius summoned,” said Twill, nudging Wren gently.

Yuna glanced up. “Did something else happen?”

“Sort of…” said Wren, rolling her head to the side. She was going to leave this part out, but… “After the fiend was defeated, these pyreflies appeared. They didn’t look like the regular ones that show up when a fiend disappears, it was a cluster of them, and it attacked us. Just a cluster of pyreflies. It hit me, and I went into shock, then spent the rest of the day unconscious. There’s not a lot to it, actually. I’m better now.”

“Pyreflies…?” asked Yuna, frowning. “I’ve seen something like that before, yes. Are you sure you feel alright? Nothing weird has happened to you since then? Gaps in your memory? Sleep walking? Anything?”

“No, nothing like that. After I slept for a while, all I had left to worry about was the bruises I got from pushing Mobius out of the way,” said Wren, shaking her head.

“It’s probably not the same, then. What I saw was… A vengeful spirit that could possess the body of a living person,” said Yuna. “He was responsible for the deaths of many people, and at one point it even affected me, and the girls I was working with at the time. But you must know better than I could what’s happened to you. If you haven’t felt any of that, then it wouldn’t be the same. Still, I hope you feel better.”

Wren smiled warmly. “I’m fine, thank you. I really don’t think it’s a vengeful spirit.” But now that Lady Yuna had put the idea in her mind, it was going to bother her.

After chatting for a few moments longer, they parted ways, the three of them leaving the temple and leaving the high summoner and her guardian to their own devices. They checked into the Inn, and set their things aside for the night. Lady Yuna had promised to give them the CommSphere after the night’s bonfire, and even gave a few words for Wren’s film, to her surprise.

That night, Wren looked at Merris for a few moments as he settled down into the bed provided for him. She hadn’t known that he had a sister. There was probably a lot about her companions she didn’t know. Merris had assured her that he didn’t think the person he was looking for was in any danger, but Wren was sure he had been talking about the same person.

Yuna wasn’t some wisewoman who could tell them exactly how to solve all of their problems, Wren knew that. They would have to be the ones to find out what was going on in Djose, since it would have to be their first stop in a real town for a while, after they passed back through Luca.

Before that would be the Highroad. And then… Mushroom Rock, of course. Chocobo use had extended a bit beyond the Highroad, since Djose expanded, and they wouldn’t have to spend much time there, but even though she’d only seen the place once before, it made her nervous.

Wren’s dreams were made of rose-colored neon, and tasted like unfamiliar sea salt air. She was sure she had been afraid the night before, but this time it brought her peace.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is going to be the last update of 2017, haha. I thought I was going to struggle with this chapter, but once I sat down to do it, the words just started flowing.
> 
> I don't know if you can tell, but as much as I disliked the audio drama, I did really like the design sketches of Yuna and Tidus from around this time, so I used the same designs. I can't wait to get to this chapter for illustrations, so I have an excuse to draw them.
> 
>  
> 
> [I've finally added a new illustration and doodle to my relevant folder on deviantart.](https://slingbees.deviantart.com/gallery/64363069/Path-of-a-Summoner)


	9. Mi'ihen Highroad

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The party covers some ground and talk things over. Merris has bonding time with a bird.

Wren wasn’t quite as eager to get moving as she thought she’d be. Thankfully, she’d slept pretty heavily at night since her accident, but she had a few things on her mind. Confronting Mushroom Rock’s coast was one of them. Even if they crossed the trail when the tide was in, and the beach was nowhere to be seen, Wren would be able to feel its chill as she passed the site of Operation Mi’ihen. She put it out of her mind for the time being; they wouldn’t reach Mi’ihen for at least a day, so she really had no reason to worry, at least for now. She came back to reality once she started moving about in the inn, without time to linger.

She packed her things, taking extra care to make sure the CommSphere that Lady Yuna had gifted her was kept safe inside her bag. It would come in handy once they reached Djose, but Wren was hopeful that she would have good news to relay to Yuna, if only to ease her fears. Mobius had seemed nice, at the time, but without knowing much about him, the words of the others who had spoken of him cast a lot of doubt on his character. She needed to know more.

Merris got her attention as they started to leave the inn. He nudged her towards the village’s entrance gently, pointing at someone ahead.

Yuna was standing at the gate, waving her arms gently to get their attention. Apart from those with business at the docks, it seemed the town wasn’t full of early risers, but she had come to see them off herself.

Wren’s mood lightened as they walked out to greet her.

“Lady Yuna, you’re seeing us off?” asked Wren.

“It’s really the least I can do, since I asked so much of you,” said Yuna, shaking her head. “I’d love to walk with you to the beach, at least.”

“You mean the CommSphere?” asked Wren. “We were going to Djose already, of course. It’s no trouble.”

Yuna smiled softly, then gestured for the others to continue walking with her towards the beach. “I don’t know about that. It sounds like you might end up with your hands full, if you get involved with Respira. I only hope you don’t get into trouble because of me.”

Merris shrugged his shoulders just a little. “Well, as long as I have to find my sister. She has a shop in Djose, where she sells, ah… jewelry, and her own art.. But, since I haven’t heard from her recently, that’s part of why I’m here. I think they might have something to do with it.”

Yuna looked up at him as they walked, concern on her face. “Do you think she’s in danger?”

Merris frowned. “I… don’t know. The thing about Djose, Respira, and the former machine faction is that we coincide with each other, but we don’t really mix. Respira is… another kind of Yevonism, basically. Of course, there are Al Bhed Yevonites, but… My sister isn’t that kind of person.”

“She’s pretty crafty, so does repair work as well. Tune-ups, trinkets, even helping out with construction at times, so she has a reason to mingle with them,” said Merris, shaking his head. “But I’m not worried about her doing anything like laying down her life to offer them power. I don’t know what to expect.”

“I’m sorry,” said Yuna, frowning. “I really hope she’s doing alright.”

“Yeah, I do too,” said Merris. “I just wanted to say that if anything happens, it won’t be on your shoulders. It sounds like we’re plenty good at getting into trouble on our own.”

“Oh, I see,” she said, nodding.

“It seems that way, doesn’t it?” agreed Twill, with a nervous laugh. “I think we’ll be just fine.”

From that point the conversation turned lighter, putting them at ease. Yuna was doing more listening than talking, but she did seem to enjoy their company. At least, Wren hoped so.

When they reached the dock, the boat was already there. There were a few other passengers boarding the ferry, a couple of the tourists from the previous day among them, but it was still a quiet morning.

Yuna waved goodbye to them. “Please call me if you find anything. Or, if you need anything. I can’t do much from here, but I’ll do my best to offer support.”

“Thank you!” called Wren, nodding to her from the deck. “This is more than I could have asked for. I hope I have good news to give you, but I’ll be sure to let you know if anything happens.”

“I wish you well on your journey,” said Yuna, smiling. “Good luck!”

The ship’s horn sounded as they started to move, and Wren grinned, waving frantically at Yuna as the ship started to pull out of the docks to keep from shouting "you too!" back.

She waved back at Yuna until they were several meters away, sailing away from the port. She could see Yuna start to turn away at last, and they all did the same. Once again, they found themselves split between their preferred seating aboard the ferry.

* * *

Between travel, Wren got a little practice with Twill in Kilika, showing how her magic had improved. It was like it suddenly made sense to her, but she still only knew her basic spells. Twill was teaching her other elemental magic, and was very happy to do so. It seemed that with a proper conduit, she was almost a natural. Almost. She did lack discipline, and at times it led to her not having full control over her magic, but that was something that could be taught with time.

When they reached Luca, Wren didn’t want to stop by her home on the way through. She had packed all she needed, and Twill was used to travel as it was. Merris, she had learned, also lived in Luca, but had been staying at the inn, earning his keep doing odd jobs. He had no difficulty leaving for the Highroad, either.

The crowd thinned as they stood at the stairs carved into the cliffs, that lead into the grassy lanes of the Mi’ihen Highroad. Besaid had been small and sleepy, but Luca at midday was loud, rough, and busy. Less so, with no events happening, but it was funny how there were so many fewer people so close to the town.

“The hover isn’t running right now,” said Merris, pursing his lips as he came back to the other two, shaking his head. He gestured over his shoulder at the inoperable machina. There was no one around, but nearby was a sign detailing the times rides back and forth across the Highroad were available. The sun was sinking in the sky. Soon, nightfall would bring its share of problems.

“I’m glad they’re serious about rebuilding the chocobo population,” said Wren, frowning a little. “I don’t think we have time to wait here… If we can just make it to the Travel Agency in the middle of the Highroad, we can stop for the night…”

“It isn’t far,” agreed Twill. “At least, not by chocobo.”

“It’s too bad I don’t have room for all of us to sleep at my home,” mumbled Wren, shaking her head. “But I wanted to make a little more progress anyway. If we rent some chocobos, we can make it there just after the sun sets.”

“It’s already setting,” said Merris, pointing at the sky. “We’d better hurry, if we want to rent. There’s a stable nearby the Travel Agency too, but I don’t want to walk all that way on foot. Not at night.”

The kiosk wasn’t too far from the hover. They spoke to the woman at the stable, who brought out a bird for each of them, supplied by Clasko’s Chocobo Ranch, she’d said. She made sure they knew how to ride before sending them on their way.

Merris’ bird had a tiny bit of an attitude, the woman had warned. He hadn’t been concerned before, but now that she’d said that… His posture was odd as he approached the bird, and the chocobo seemed to notice this immediately. A low gurgle sounded in the chocobo’s throat as he approached, tilting her head at him, her neck feathers ruffled.

“Good girl… Come on…” He stroked the chocobo’s side, cooing softly in an attempt to calm her, then her neck, then placed a hand on her beak, a ballsy move for someone who was likely to be bitten.

“If you like, we could trade,” offered Twill, watching him from their own chocobo.

Luckily, the bird gave a noise that almost seemed like a sigh of surrender, as if she realized he had no idea what he was doing, and she lowered herself for him to climb onto her back.

“I think she’s warmed up to me,” said Merris, grinning as he mounted the bird.

“I think she knows you don’t know how to handle rowdy animals,” said Twill, shaking their head with a laugh. “You’re lucky to still have all your fingers. She was definitely about to bite you before you started talking.”

“Hey, is it so hard to believe she could like me?” he said. “Look, we’re friends now.”

He stroked her neck, prompting a disgruntled croak from the bird, who apparently had resigned itself to an incompetent handler.

“Do you know how to ride?” asked Wren.

“Of course I do,” said Merris, frowning. “That’s the easy part. It’s just… been a while.”

When they finally got settled and started down the road, the sky was already dark.

“I think I misjudged how much time this would take,” admitted Wren.

“It’s alright. I think all of us have been through here at least once,” Merris said. “I think we all misjudged it.”

“It’s been a while for me too,” she said, nodding. “I haven’t really left Luca since my mother died.”

They were walking at a somewhat leisurely pace now that the sun had already set. Most fiends would be warded off by the presence of the chocobos, which could become vicious if attacked by smaller creatures that got a little too brave. Wren wasn’t eager to run into another fiend like the one she’d seen in Kilika, but there were supposed to be fewer chocobo eaters around. The populations were being tightly controlled, but at least the fiends were being kept off the trails, and away from the travelers.

“What about you, Twill?” asked Wren. “You talked about yourself a little when we met, but…”

Twill looked surprised, glancing up for a second at the other two, who were looking at them expectantly between watching the path.

“Oh, well…” Twill trailed off, shrugging a little. “I don’t know, I guess I could talk a little, but it’s not a particularly happy story.”

“We’re full of unhappy stories lately,” offered Merris. “I don’t know if you told me anything, besides where you came from.”

Twill tilted their head a little, shrugging in surrender. “Yes, I think you’re right. I did make a point to bring it up to Wren, but I don’t think I’ve said much about myself to you. There isn’t much to say, though.”

“To start with, I’m considered a deserter,” said Twill, frowning. “Or at least, I was, when Seymour took over his father’s leadership role. Everyone adjusted so quickly, even though there was a lot of talk about Lord Jyscal’s half blood son. Admittedly, at the time, I was against the idea of someone other than a Guado leading the Guado, but that wasn’t all, of course.”

“His father’s murder, right?” asked Merris.

“Yes, exactly. It was supposed to be kept under wraps, but I believe Yevon was aware of his betrayal,” they said. “And all of us knew. The Farplane guard, that is. How could we not? We were proud, but we are horrible gossips. When your duty is to stand quietly and follow orders, you learn to listen, and news travels quickly.”

“Knowing that, and the darkness in Seymour’s heart, I chose to desert,” said Twill, shrugging. “There are things that cannot be hidden from the Guado.”

“The mark of an unsent is one of them,” they said. “Even without training, we are more in tune with the Farplane than most of Spira. It comes with living so near to it. Jyscal was not among their numbers, but we could tell who within Yevon that passed through Guadosalam was. And when Seymour returned to us with that mark, we knew.”

“After he took over?” asked Wren. “Is that why you left?”

“Um… sort of. I’m not very proud of it,” said Twill, nodding despite their words. “But it isn’t just that. No, just being unsent is hardly considered a crime. All that means is that one has such a strong tie to the realm of the living that they retain a corporeal form. Of course, that tie is usually anger, so that’s usually where the issue lies. Those with nothing left to lose aren’t exactly the best judges of right and wrong.”

“No, it was just… fear. Yevon has had shady dealings for years. Much longer than I’ve been alive,” said Twill. “I had no idea what was going on in Bevelle. I didn’t want to. And I didn’t want to be responsible for Seymour’s decisions.”

Twill stopped talking for a few moments, and was now using the light of the moon to guide them across the trail. It was lucky the moon was so bright even though it was low in the sky, or else they would need much better lighting to guide them. The stars looked like they were following a trail of their own, spread out in swirling patterns across the sky, if one connected them with their mind’s eye.

“Though, it has been some time since I’ve actually been home,” said Twill. “I have heard different things, and avoided Guadosalam entirely when passing through, so… I don’t know much about my current standings, although I’m not eager to test them. I’ve heard that the palace was taken by a sphere hunter who opened a shelter of sorts, and I’ve also heard that the palace has fallen back into the hands of the Guado.”

“Should we avoid going through Guadosalam?” asked Wren, tilting her head. “They’re not looking for you, are they?”

“I don’t know what would happen if I returned,” said Twill, frowning. “That is probably the best idea. I know the way around, but it would take us through the forest. It would probably be easier for all three of us to go through, since the city is underground, it bypasses the forest entirely, but…”

“I don’t want to risk it, if we don’t have to,” said Wren. “We’ll have to make do with the safest choice.”

The light of the Travel Agency was a welcome sight. The moon was climbing higher in the night sky now, and they could tell they’d stayed out much later than they’d meant to, unfortunately. They took the chocobos to the stable themselves, then went inside.

Inside, there was only one person sitting in a chair behind the counter, looking as if she’d fall asleep any second herself. They were directed to their room, and they fell into the beds, Twill and Wren in one, Merris in the other.

“Let’s sleep in tomorrow,” said Merris, groaning just a little. “I’m all for early rising, but we need to get our rest too.”

“Sounds good to me,” agreed Wren, lying face down in her pillow. She lifted her head. “I really thought the Travel Agency was closer to Luca than that.”

“We all did,” said Twill. “At least we made it.”

“Yeah, if it was any farther, we might have had to camp outside tonight,” said Wren, snuggling into her pillow. “I was ready for camping, but I’m glad we get to sleep in actual beds.”

“We should get to sleep, this might be the last chance we have for a while to sleep in a real bed,” said Merris, chucking a small pillow in their direction playfully. “And I’m tired.”

The three of them fell into a heavy sleep, exhausted after staying out longer than they anticipated after spending the day traveling.

Wren was still thinking about what her companions had said, between Merris and his sister, and Twill’s past. They definitely needed to take care of Merris’ sister first, then they would worry about how to avoid the underground city. She didn’t have time to dwell on it though, finding herself falling asleep before she realized it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy New Year! I'm at PAX right now (also it's almost 6am, I woke up too early and am not actually at PAX This Second) and I'm having a lot of fun. I finally got to wear my Yuna cosplay to a real con and I got stopped for a few photos throughout the day. I really hope I can find pictures, cause I took a bunch myself but there's one someone took that I really want to see how it turned out ;; 
> 
> Anyway, you know the drill. [Here's art.](https://slingbees.deviantart.com/gallery/64363069/Path-of-a-Summoner/)


	10. Mushroom Rock

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Reflections on Mushroom Rock Road.

Morning brought a surprising amount of chatter from the main lobby area of the Travel Agency.

Wren tiredly wandered into the lobby, trying to find the source of the noise.

There was a very small crowd forming, from travelers and others who had spent the night at the inn, forming around one man. Wren recognized him as the Travel Agency’s owner and business mogul, Rin. She didn’t know much about him, except that he used to own the majority of the inns around Spira, but most had been bought out when he lost interest in that venture, save for a handful of them. The one they were staying in currently, on the Mi’ihen Highroad, was one of the ones still owned by him.

He was more popular than she’d realized, she guessed. He seemed good natured enough, chatting and laughing with the small group. She didn’t know what they were talking about, as listening closer she realized that about half of the conversation was in Al Bhed, which she unfortunately only understood a little of. It took a lot of thinking to be able to understand it by ear, and when it was written, she wasn’t much better. At the rate they were speaking, she had already fallen hopelessly behind.

She heard a noise behind her, and when she looked over her shoulder, she saw Merris had been woken up by the noise as well, likely.

“Good morning,” she said, humming just a little.

“It’s almost noon, isn’t it?” asked Merris. “Hope they’re not trying to get rid of us.”

“If it’s that late, we should get going anyway,” laughed Wren.

Merris gave a small snort, shaking his head. “How did all this racket not wake up Twill?”

Wren shrugged at that, not sure herself. At this point, she was still listening to Rin and the others speak.

 _“Dryd umt syh rych'd paah ynuiht mydamo. Ra icat du fyhtan eh yht uid uv dra_ [Agency] _ymm dra desa, pid ed ryc paah xieda cusa desa cehla yhouha cyf res,”_ said one person. The current desk clerk, Wren guessed.

 _“Ur? Ed ec bnupypmo vun dra paddan dryd fa tuh'd ahluinyka muedanehk... E ryja caah res fyhtanehk ynuiht_ [Spira] _pavuna druikr, ev oui yna funneat ypuid res,”_ replied Rin, somewhat passively.

“What are they talking about?” Wren asked softly, glancing up at Merris.

“Hm? Something about an old man. Must be a regular here. I think they’re just talking business,” he said, rubbing the back of his neck. “I wasn’t really listening.”

Wren gave a small hum, placing a hand on her hip. “Whatever it is, I guess I’m awake now.”

“Yeah, I don’t think I’m going to get back to sleep,” said Merris, shrugging. “Might as well stay out here and let Twill sleep a while longer.”

They moved to the table near the front, Wren taking one seat, and Merris taking the other while the employees chatted with Rin behind them.

“I guess it’s fine that they woke us up. If they hadn’t, I probably would have stayed asleep even longer,” said Wren, laughing quietly. “Plus, I keep having these weird dreams…”

“Oh yeah?”

“Yeah, they’ve been on and off, but ever since Kilika, I keep dreaming about this city on the ocean, and it’s glowing so brightly that you can hardly see the stars,” said Wren. “The first time it happened, in my dream I was on a boat that was steering itself towards the city, and I felt like if I got out of the boat, something scary might happen. Like someone was going to take me away the second I set foot outside of it. But since then, it hasn’t been so bad.”

“That is a little weird,” murmured Merris, nodding. “I hope you’re not losing sleep because of it.”

“Not really. I exhausted myself at the temple; if anything I’ve been sleeping more since then,” she said. She paused for a second, then nodded her head slightly in the direction of the conversation behind her. “Well, mostly anyway.”

“It hasn’t really been as scary as the first time it happened,” she added. “I think I just have a lot on my mind.”

“That’s probably it,” he said. “Between being unconscious for basically a full day, and all of this, it wouldn’t surprise me if the stress was getting to you. I’m not an expert or anything though.”

As Wren started to agree, Twill appeared from the back, looking a little groggy as they spotted the two of them sitting at the table.

“Noon already?” they asked, suppressing a yawn.

“We were just thinking about leaving you behind if you slept any later,” teased Merris, placing his chin in his palm. “Good thing you showed up when you did.”

“Ha ha,” said Twill, rolling their eyes. “It’s getting late in the day to leave already. Unless you want to stay here another day, we’re probably going to have to camp outside tonight.”

“Yeah, you’re right. We should get moving,” said Wren, huffing. “I’m not really looking forward to it, but I don’t want to wait around here anymore. I knew I’d have to sleep outside at some point, if I made this happen.”

They went back to their room to get their things, then made their way outside to the stable. They spoke to the worker to retrieve their chocobos, and then were back on the road.

When night started to fall, they were about halfway through the path carved into the side of the rock. It was getting late, and both the birds and their riders were tired.

They tied the chocobos leads so they wouldn’t run away, then set up camp for the night on the trail. It could prove to be dangerous to stray far from the trail, with the fiends out. They kept this in mind as they set up, unpacking rationed food to cook over the fire they’d built.

The road itself was covered by the sturdy cliff above, and in that enclosed space, it was dark, apart from the fire. The view of the sea from where Wren sat, however, was illuminated by the moon. She looked out over it as she fed the chocobos their share of the greens they’d purchased from the stable. The humid sea air was calming, at the very least.

She’d been brought here when her mother had died, that was how she knew. The rising tide had carried everything away after the monks from Bevelle recovered the bodies they could find, and now the only thing that she could see in the sand was dead seaweed, and the driftwood that washed up from the ocean. Nothing that set it apart from any other beach in Spira.

But Wren had seen it after it happened. It had only been six years earlier. She had been twelve, not so young that it would tear her life apart, but it wasn’t long enough that she had stopped feeling the impact of what had happened. She hadn’t been there when it happened, or else she might not be alive, but she had come with the clergy to identify her mother’s body before the victims were sent.

“You seem like you have a lot on your mind,” said Twill. Looking over at her. They were setting up over the fire, helping to get their meal ready. “You’ve got a dark cloud hanging over you.”

Wren’s shoulders relaxed, and she sighed again, still stroking the chocobo’s feathers as it ate.  “I’m just thinking.”

“About what?”

“My mother, uh…” she started, frowning. “She was a recorder for the monks in Bevelle. Wherever they went, we went too. But… you know where we are, right? She was there, recording, when they partnered with the Al Bhed for Operation Mi’ihen.”

“...Oh,” murmured Twill.

“Yeah,” said Wren. “They… said she was probably hit by flying debris, or that Sin’s toxin got to her first, before the water started rising, something. I don’t know… I’m still angry. At the time, I blamed Yevon, because I thought they should have known that the plan wouldn’t work, and I lost my mother because of it--a lot of people lost family because of it.”

“I know now,” she said, shaking her head. “They had to know. After word came out about Yevon’s corrupt politics, I knew. It was just to keep us from suspecting them. I’m still torn about it. I still believe, but not in them… It’s what I knew. Is that bad?”

“That’s difficult to answer… I don’t think it’s bad to believe in something,” said Twill, thinking. “Yevon has a dangerous history of manipulating people… I don’t know what’s fact or not anymore myself, and I’m certified as a sender.”

Wren frowned. “Yevon was pretty awful, wasn’t it?”

“Sometimes,” said Twill.

Merris nodded vigorously, making a face.

“I guess what I really believe in is the real people who stood up to fight Sin,” said Wren, thinking. She pet the chocobo’s neck, still frowning. “The high summoners are so few and far between that there aren’t many records on them anymore… And they’re probably tailored to whatever Yevon wants us to see, if there are any. But they were real people, who wanted the best for Spira.”

“That is something,” agreed Twill.

“Better than believing in the church,” added Merris.

Wren made a noise of agreement, then went to sit beside the fire with them, sitting on her bedroll. She took a piece of the dried meat, nibbling at it while she looked at the ocean.

“I didn’t mean for this to get any deeper than it already was,” she admitted. “I was just… thinking about my mother, and her last sphere.”

Twill glanced up at that, frowning. “What was on it?”

“...Not a whole lot,” said Wren. “It’s… dark. The beginning of it is just people working. Setting up machina, rallying together, whatever. Preparations. After it starts, you can see for a few seconds, but it looks how it does before a big storm comes. And then you see Sin, rising out of the water in the distance, but just for a second. After that, there’s no picture. It’s just… static. And the audio is garbled, you can’t hear anything, but it’s better that way.”

“I guess the equipment doesn’t work around Sin?” asked Merris.

“I guess not,” she said. “I’m probably not supposed to have it, if Yevon had bothered retrieving it from her. To be honest, if it was real footage of what happened during the operation, I would have destroyed it. I don’t want to think about it. I just kept it because it belonged to her.”

“I would have destroyed it,” admitted Twill. “If it were mine.”

Wren nodded slightly, looking back down at her hands for a minute.

Merris put his arms behind him for support, leaning back. “Yevon has kind of screwed all three of us over, hasn’t it? I mean, everyone’s got something, but it seems like we’re just unlucky.”

Twill and Wren murmured in agreement.

“We should figure out how who’s going to take the first watch,” said Twill. “We’re not far from the trail, so there should be fewer fiends, but it’s better to be safe.”

“I’ll go first,” offered Wren.

“I guess I’ll take the next one,” said Merris.

“I didn’t expect you to be so enthusiastic about this,” said Twill, laughing quietly. “I’ll take the last one, then.”

Wren smiled weakly. “I don’t think I’ll be getting to sleep for a while. I feel better, but I’ve still got some things to think about.”

Merris nodded a bit. “Just wake me up whenever you need to sleep.”

They started to settle in, finishing their meal in silence. Wren went to sit near the chocobos where they were nestled beside each other. While the other two rested beside the dying fire.

She looked at the sea once again, sighing. At least she felt a little more at ease, after opening up. Once they passed through Mushroom Rock to Djose, she’d be alright after literally putting the past behind her.

The other two fell asleep quickly, unsurprisingly. Wren hoped Twill didn’t mind getting an early start, but at least they weren’t far from town now. Once they made it to Djose, supposedly they were invited to a warm bed by Mobius, though she wondered what her current standing was with him now.

Mobius had been friendly when they met, but thinking about it, the way he’d vanished on her after her accident was odd. Either way, whether they were welcome or not, they had little choice, if they wanted to find Merris’ sister. Wren wanted to know what was going on with Mobius, and Respira, too.

It seemed like all of their problems were leading them to Djose.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's been a bit since I posted an update, cause I wanted to catch up on art a little more before I posted a new chapter. No one is telling me to do the chapter illustrations but it's a fun project for me, haha. (In addition to the chapter illustrations I've got a bunch of commissions right now though, so that accounts for some of the time lost too.)
> 
> Anyway, the Al Bhed can be put directly into the translator if you're really curious about what it says, I won't be including too many full conversations in Al Bhed and if it's important, I'll certainly provide translations, so don't worry about that.
> 
> All of that said I've finished chapter 6's illustration recently, and there's a couple drawings of Wren and her mom in my gallery now. She's not going to be a particularly important character or anything, since she's dead, but I ended up giving her a design and a name, haha. 
> 
>  
> 
> [link to related gallery](https://slingbees.deviantart.com/gallery/64363069/Path-of-a-Summoner)


	11. Djose

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Exploring a bit of the town while looking for Merris' sister, Tana.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uhhh this town isn't something that appears in the game, of course, so... In order to visualize it while I was writing, I drew a little map? It's really really rough and isn't supposed to be pretty, just a visual guide for myself, but it may be interesting or helpful to someone else, haha. 
> 
> I've never really tried creating a location like this before that was supposed to fit into an existing world, so, it may even be necessary depending on how easy it is to understand my descriptions.
> 
> [Here's the link to the map.](https://slingbees.deviantart.com/art/Djose-Map-736670049)

They left the following morning to make the rest of the trip past the end of the trail, where the road forked and lead to the old Djose temple, which was no longer open to the public, after the machine faction had disbanded. They returned their birds to the stable that had been posted near the path to the temple, noticing as the scenery went from cold cliffsides to soft, marshy land as they got closer to the water.

The temple came into view as they walked, crossing over the bridges that led to the landmark. The massive slabs of rock around the temple were almost always floating around the top, in an impressive display of light and electricity. It was previously thought that the phenomenon was caused by the prayer of the summoners inside the chamber of the Fayth, which wasn’t too far from the truth, but it turned out to be the massive amounts of energy from the Farplane, or the temple’s aeon itself, that caused it. Once this was figured out, someone had the idea to use it to power the town, presumably the remaining Al Bhed from the Machine Faction. 

It was quite a sight, one that Wren had never seen before, but it was marked with various colorful signs, signalling to keep out, and pointing to the direction of the actual town of Djose. 

“It used to be open, when the Machine Faction was here,” said Merris. “It’s being used as a power source now, so I can understand why they want to keep people out.”

Twill pointed to the converted Travel Agency nearby. “It looks like the office is still open, however. Maybe there’s someone there who has an idea about your sister?”

Merris nodded his head. “Yeah, I hope so. She’s pretty well known around town, but whether or not anyone knows what she’s up to now is the question…”

The person inside the office was an older man, built sturdily, with a scraggly beard and teensie glasses perched on his nose. He was fiddling with a compact looking machine, about as big as a large dog.

"Do you know my sister, Tana?" asked Merris. "I’ve kept in contact with her through letters for a while, but she hasn’t answered in about a month. Do you know where I can find her?”

The man scratched his beard, thinking for a few moments. "Yeah, I know her. She’s a real help around here, but it’s been a while since I’ve seen her, now that you mention it. You might have more luck asking someone around town, though. I spend most of my time here, so I don’t see too much."

"We just got here, so we were heading there next," said Merris. “Thanks for the help anyway.”

"Well I hope you find her, it would be a shame if anything happened to her," said the man, tinkering with the machine once more. "She's a nice girl. Real good at organizing people, y'know. Likes to give orders, maybe, but she's got a good strong head on her shoulders." 

Merris thanked him and the group wandered back outside, looking towards the path that had been cut around the right side of the temple, leading through the middle of the town.

“I guess the town is that way,” said Wren, looking at the sign posted beside the temple.

They could already see an impressive looking structure from where they were standing, what looked to be the center square of the town.

"Have either of you been here before?” asked Wren, as they started down the path.

"Yeah me and my sister both used to live here but I've been on my own for a while, and we kept in contact through letters, like I said," Merris answered, frowning. “I used to be part of the Machine Faction, but since it disbanded I’ve been doing my own thing.”

“I’ve… only been here once,” said Twill. “It was very small then, so I haven’t seen it since it was just starting out, and I didn’t stay long. I’m interested to see what’s changed, I suppose.”

"That reminds me, what sort of person is your sister? I guess she's not the kind of person to just stop responding if you were worried about her," said Twill.

"No, she's really not. Even if she hadn’t responded in a while, she’d definitely send something back if I said I was worried about her,” he said, shaking her head. “She’s very responsible.”

"I can see why you're worried then," they said. 

The buildings in the town had some obvious wear, but still looked new, the majority of the structures having been constructed in the two years since Djose had been established as its own town. Mobius seemed to be in charge, but from what Merris said, Tana was the unofficial heart and soul of the town. She was the one who organized public events, and had even started a weekly event where crafters and other non merchant types could sell their wares on the grounds on the south side of the town. She seemed to be very busy, aiding with construction on top of that.

Mobius seemed to mostly manage Respira’s activity, whatever that was, Wren guessed.

There was a very large building in the center of the town. Wren had been able to see it from the temple, but it wasn’t until they were closer that she could get a good look at it.

"This is where Mobius lives," said Merris, pointing at the large structure.

It was made of a material that almost appeared to be glass, but given that the area was prone to bad storms a few times a year during certain seasons, it seemed to be in remarkably good shape. Whatever it was made of must have been of magical origin.

Wren was in awe of his home more than anything. How much influence did this man have, to have such a large home that shone so brightly? He must have been more important than she'd thought before she became aware of who he was.

Was that good or bad? She didn't know. It didn’t sound very good.

"When I spoke to Mobius he said we'd have a place to stay with him if we visited," said Wren. "He was acting a little weird at the temple, but I think the offer still stands.”

"I think we should stay away from him, but we don't really have a choice," said Merris, frowning. "My sister has done enough for this town that I feel like he might know what happened to her, at least enough to know that something has happened at all."

"He certainly seems to have plenty of room to spare,” said Twill, gesturing up at the building. “It will save us the cost of staying at an inn. If we don’t find anything and have to move on, the next inn outside of town is on the other side of the Moonflow, so it would be wise to stop here either way.”

The fortress seemed to be the center of the town, with everything else built around it. In this market circle, there were many other hubs for recreation and gathering, even an inn, and in the streets out in front of the shops were merchant stalls. Towards the south side facing the cliffs, there was a gap in the buildings, allowing a clear view of the sea from the balcony. This was also where the vendors would gather once a week, so colorful little tents would be put out for the day, but as they stood in front of one of the corner doors of the cathedral-esque mansion, there was nothing there but an empty field.

Wren knocked on the door apprehensively.

"Is anyone home?" she asked softly.

A strange ringing sound was heard, to her surprise, and she jumped away from the wall, which seemed to be the source of the sing-songy static. "What is that??"

"Look, isn't this like the thing Lady Yuna gave to you?" asked Twill, pointing. 

They were right, set into the wall appeared to be almost the same device as the Commsphere given to her by the summoner. "Is it...?"

"Who is this? Wren, is that you?" asked Mobius' voice from the sphere. "I'm glad to see you're doing well. Please come in. Forgive me for not greeting you in person." 

Wren opened the door and looked around. It wasn't overly gaudy as it was expected, instead stylish, if a little cold. Not as well lived in as the smaller homes she was accustomed to. At the very least it was obvious that the designer had a strong sense of aesthetic. They were standing in a large reception area, almost like a ballroom, and she wondered if he held public events here as well. This might have even been where the people would meet, on certain occasions.

She didn't see Mobius, however, but a few minutes later he did appear, stepping down the stairs from the second floor corridor that went around the room and seemed to lead to the balcony.

"There you all are," said Mobius. "Wren, I'm glad you've recovered already from your ordeal."

“Oh, yeah…” said Wren, rubbing at her arm, a little embarrassed. She was getting a kind of weird feeling, but she wasn’t sure she should feel that way about him. After all, he was the one who took her back to her friends when she was injured. “Yeah, I’m fine now. I slept for about a day afterwards, but I made it through it.”

“It was very strange, that thing that attacked you,” said Mobius, murmuring in approval. “But you must be quite strong to have recovered so quickly.”

He continued. “Anyway, you’ve finally made it to Djose. Can I help you with anything?”

“Actually, I’m just looking for my sister,” said Merris, pointing to himself with his thumb. “Do you know where Tana is?”

“Ah, you’re her younger brother,” said Mobius. He tilted his head slightly, frowning. “No, I haven’t seen her recently. I will offer any assistance I can to help find her, though.”

“Aren’t the townspeople worried about her too?” asked Merris, frowning. “Shouldn’t you already be looking for her?”

“I hadn’t realized she was missing,” admitted Mobius. “At least, not until recently. She does go off on her own occasionally to procure materials for her work--you must know that. Sometimes it can be days before she’s seen again, if she has the time. I assumed she was on one of these excursions, but enough time has passed without anyone hearing from her, that it would be difficult not to be worried.”

“Yeah, I knew that,” said Merris, backing down. “I waited a bit too, before I started getting worried and started looking for a reason to set out to find her…”

“I doubt the others in town will have much more to offer,” said Mobius, thinking. “If you want to find her, my best guess would be… to ask around places she frequents, and then if nothing turns up, I would start moving towards Guadosalam.”

Wren glanced at Twill when he said that, and she could see in their eyes that they were hesitant to do so, but they didn’t say anything.

“What’s in Guadosalam?” asked Wren, looking between the other two for a moment.

“Tana is… pretty good at making things,” said Merris, thinking. “She makes and sells her own jewelry, and works with some other more exotic materials making sculptures and stuff as a hobby, so… She’s got to get those materials somehow.”

“As close as we are to the Moonflow, we trade with Guadosalam frequently,” said Mobius. “Our two towns have helped each other a lot since our establishment, and Guadosalam is starting to again become the cultural hub it once was. Tana is part of the reason we were able to establish trade with the Guado, so I’m sure that’s where she would have been headed.”

“We’ll ask for clues around town, and probably head there next?” suggested Wren, looking up at Merris.

“Yeah,” he said. “I’m sure someone will have some idea. If not… well, there are still a few hours left in the day,  enough to cover the town, and… we can leave in the morning.”

They agreed, Twill somewhat reluctantly.

Wren looked back to Mobius. “Oh, and I hope this doesn’t sound too rude, but when I mentioned my research before, you said that when we arrived, you would give us a place to stay for the night. Is that offer still open?”

Mobius, who had been following the conversation silently while they discussed their options, nodded. “Yes, of course. I will show you to your rooms when you come back from your search. You’re welcome to dine with me as well, but if you don’t make it back in time, then I’ll have something waiting for you anyway. Good luck with your search.”

The three thanked him, then split up to cover the town, working from the inner circle out.

Wren worked east, asking around the market first, then the inn, then began checking some of the shops. 

When the three of them met up again, the sun had already gone down, the search winding down as the town went to sleep. They were all three quiet, but looked eager to discuss it with each other as they looked between each other when they met up once more inside Mobius’ mansion. 

After they ate, they were shown to their individual rooms. Mobius gave them free reign to look around, pointing out rooms of interest to them, should they want to explore for themselves, then took his leave of them to settle down for the night. Despite that, they all three settled inside Merris’ room to talk. 

“I didn’t find anything,” said Merris, shaking his head. “Everyone with anything useful to say told me the same thing Mobius did. It doesn’t seem like anyone knows where she is.”

“Me either,” said Wren. 

“I know she wouldn’t disappear on her own without saying anything,” he said. “But no one knows where she is. They can’t all be lying, so something else  _ must _ have happened.”

“Maybe,” said Twill, frowning. “But what do you think it could be? We still have one option: to move towards Guadosalam, and ask anyone there for help, if they’ve seen her.”

“I… don’t know if we’ll find her there,” admitted Merris. “If no one can say for sure that’s where she went, then  I’m not sure this is one of her trips. I feel like someone would know about that. The town runs without her just fine, but people notice when she’s gone.”

“Is she that well known here?” asked Wren. “Maybe… she needed a break?”

Merris’ expression told her that he clearly didn’t think that was the case.

“This isn’t going to sound very good, but to be honest, I feel like Mobius is lying,” he said, after a few moments. “I guess I don’t have any proof, and I’m not about to run out there to point any fingers at him, but…”

Wren blinked. “Why would he… lie about that?”

“I don’t know, I just don’t trust him,” he said, pursing his lips. “Listen, I know he likes people watching, it’s why he wanders around so much. I don’t think that he couldn’t have realized she’d been gone longer than normal.”

“Maybe that’s true,” said Twill, thinking. “He is… strange. I can’t quite read him, but he has that same tinge on him from the temples, so that could be why, but… I don’t know if that means we shouldn’t believe him. We don’t know how long he was traveling before we met him ourselves, after all. It’s not too hard to believe he doesn’t know anything, if he’d been away from the town.”

“Yeah, I guess,” said Merris. “Mobius is the one with all the money to fund this place’s construction, but apart from that, he’s more like a… Hands off kind of leader. Disputes are more or less managed by the townspeople, and usually Tana handles that kind of thing, so I can see that as a possibility.”

“I’m not saying we should trust him either,” added Twill. “But I think it’s too early to decide that he’s a liar. It’s… a little rash to accuse people of lying about the whereabouts of another person, if their safety could be on the line.”

Merris shrugged, leaning back in the chair he was seated in.

Wren had made herself comfortable sitting on the bed, but was averting her eyes from the conversation while she thought. Merris was frustrated, that much she could tell, but she didn’t know what to say to be helpful to him.

“Maybe we should sleep on it?” asked Twill. “I know this is important to you, but maybe it can wait, so we can all rest for a bit. We’ve basically been on our feet since we woke up this morning.”

Merris mumbled something in agreement.

“...What about Guadosalam?” asked Wren. “We should still look there, right? Maybe someone knows something?”

Twill rubbed their left arm, sighing. “Do you wish for me to continue accompanying you?”

“Will you leave if we go to Guadosalam?” she asked, frowning. 

“I don’t  _ want _ to leave,” said Twill honestly. “But I am nervous about going back. I don’t know if I’ll be allowed to pass through there peacefully or not, or if I’ll even be recognized. That is… part of what my disguise is for, after all.”

“Maybe you could stay here, and me and Merris will go by ourselves?” asked Wren. “I don’t want you to leave.”

“Then I’ll risk it,” they said, nodding. “Finding Tana safely is more important, and if I am treated as a criminal, then it’s the same as if I leave. I do want to help, and I can’t do that if I stay here. We’ll lose more time if you have to come back for me.”

“I’m not asking anyone to get arrested!” exclaimed Wren softly. “You really don’t have to do that.”

Twill nodded somewhat, then shrugged. “I’m getting a little attached to the two of you. This may be insensitive to say, but strange things have been happening since we started traveling, even though it hasn’t been long. I kind of want to understand it myself, and I also want to be helpful. Better that than wandering Spira on my own for four years.”

Wren nodded, smiling a little. “Okay. So we’ll look for Tana together, then.”

“Thanks,” said Merris, quietly. “It’ll be easier with all three of us. I didn’t want to come all this way by myself when we started out, so thanks for helping me.”

Twill seemed particularly pleased with that response, and reassured him once more.

Merris, somewhat embarrassed, made a comment about how late it was getting, and they started to clear out of his room after saying goodnight to each other. 

There was still something bothering Wren, but she hoped that things would calm down after everyone had time to sleep. At least they had some clues about where to find Merris’ sister. That had to come first. After that, they could get back on the road, exploring the temples. 

She crawled into her bed, a little too soft for her tastes, but she got comfortable before she knew it.

As she considered later asking Mobius if she could have a peek inside Djose’s temple, she was already beginning to doze off.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hhhh I haven't updated in a couple of months because I've been busy with art commissions since January, so I wrote this because I was feeling guilty and I was missing working on this, haha.
> 
> My ideas for this chapter got a little long, so I'm splitting it into two, and unfortunately ending a chapter on Wren falling asleep again, but I promise this time the fact that she's asleep matters. 
> 
> [Related gallery with my art of the characters and such here.](https://slingbees.deviantart.com/gallery/64363069/Path-of-a-Summoner)


	12. Hall of the Hymn

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Snooping as usual, I see.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I barely proofread this chapter so I apologize.

_In the depths of slumber, Wren could hear the Hymn all around her. The ancient song had fallen out of popularity after Sin was defeated, and yet she felt it in her heart anyway, resonating within her. It came from deep in the center of the city, and if it wasn’t calling out to her, it was certainly worth investigating anyway._

_She left the safety of the boat where she often found herself in that dream world, searching for the source of the song. The tall spires of the docking area disappeared behind her slowly as she walked farther into the city than she had cared to venture before. Ahead of her were strange roads that twisted over each other, reminding her of the Highroad. Massive glass buildings towered around her, along with buildings shaped like decorative spires. There were tall fountains that flowed water from absurd heights, standing much higher than Wren even as she took the higher path to get a better view of her surroundings. In the center of the city was a building she recognized as a blitzball stadium, reminding her of the one in Luca._

_It was a large city that would surely need many people to keep it running, but she had never seen anyone else besides herself walking the streets. With no one else around, the sound of anyone singing was rather odd, and she felt uneasy as she walked briskly through the streets of the radiant city. The singing was coming from below her..._

The sound of shattering glass brought her back to reality.

When she woke up, the voices had stopped. She looked up at the ceiling from her guest bed, disoriented for a few moments, before she registered something pass the doorway of her room.

Blinking the last of her dream away, she rolled out of the bed, not bothering to take her sandals as she peered around the corner of the doorway to see who was moving around in the guest chambers.

Wren guessed she hadn’t been asleep for more than a few hours, based on how dark it still was. Despite how dim it was, she could make out a large figure moving around the small common area, centered somewhere around the floor.

“Merris?” she asked softly.

“Sorry,” he whispered back. “It’s dark--watch out for the glass.”

She focused her energy, using her magic to form a ball of flames in the palm of her hand, crouching down to try to offer some of its light to him.

It was dim, but it got the job done of illuminating the shards of… whatever he had broken. Now she could see where he was, next to the low table in the center of the room, surrounded by comfortable looking chairs in front of a currently empty fireplace. This area led from the main hall into four separate bedrooms, one of two guest bedroom areas.

“What broke?”

“Uh… vase, maybe?” he said. “I didn’t see it. That’s how it ended up like this. It was on the table I bumped into, so…”

“I’ll light the fireplace. Hold on.” She started to tiptoe around the edge of the room against the wall, holding her hand carefully, afraid to enter the middle of the room with her bare feet.

“You sure you’ve got it?” he asked, looking up. “Be careful with that fire.”

She murmured in agreement, but she wasn’t worried. Magic was coming easier to her. Even without her staff, casting didn’t take as much out of her as it used to. She took some kindling from the pot near the hearth, arranging the inside so she could start a real fire. After igniting the brittle wood and stoking it, the flame in her hand disappeared, the light now emanating from a small log fire.

Stepping out of the way of the fireplace so he could see better, she turned to look at him.

“What are you doing up?” she asked, tilting her head. She handed him the brush and dustpan from the fireplace, to try to dispose of the glass.

“Mobius invited us to explore, so that’s what I’m doing,” he said, snorting as he took them from her. “Well, I was going to, but…”

“You still think he knows something?” she asked.

“Yeah, I guess,” said Merris, shrugging as he scraped the last of the biggest pieces up. “I’m not sure what I even think I’ll find. Nothing, I hope. He’s probably right about Tana being in Guadosalam, but while I’m here…”

“Do you want me to come with you to look around?” asked Wren.

Apart from wanting to do something to be useful to Merris, she wasn’t sure why she had said that. Something made her want to explore as well. If she held her breath, she could feel something tingling at the floor beneath her feet, making her want to start moving.

“Sure,” he said. “It might make me feel a little better.”

“I’d be worried if I let you wander around by yourself while you go looking for trouble,” said Wren, smiling.

Merris chuckled quietly as he disposed of the glass, then put the tools away, and turned back to her. “I guess we’d better get started. This place has been here since the town was built, but I’ve never been this far in before.”

Wren made a small noise of agreement.

They ventured out into the hallway together. Wren gestured to indicate she would follow Merris, letting him move ahead of her.

“Do you know where you’re going?” she asked.

“Not really,” he said. “But I have an idea. There is somewhere in here I’ve always wanted to see. This place, uh… Mobius lives in the main part of it. Sometimes he has events here, but it’s not very often, and it’s limited to that big entry area we saw on our way in.”

“But below us, there’s another room. Underground,” he said. “That’s where Respira meets. There’s a special entrance outside, in the back for everyone to get in, but I bet Mobius has his own entrance in here somewhere.”

“That’s where they meet? Do you really think there’s another way in?”

“Yes, I’ve never seen him use that entrance before,” he said. “But I’ve been away, and I’m not, and never have been part of the group, so maybe I’ve just missed him.”

Wren rubbed at her neck. “I don’t want to upset him, if we don’t find anything, but I want to see… I’ve been curious about his group since I heard about them.”

“If he’s insulted, then we’ll leave and never see him again,” said Merris.

“I kind of wanted his help with my research, but… I guess there’s plenty I can find on my own,” she said, frowning. “It’s strange that there’s a real summoner still living here now that the Eternal Calm has ended… But he’s not the same as the others… The Fayth only offered themselves to summoners who aligned themselves with their views. Sin is already gone, and he’s still got his aeon… I want to know what’s going on here.”

She seemed to have unintentionally talked herself into following Merris’ plan, whatever her original thinking was.

“Right?” asked Merris. “Let’s get moving. The lift is probably closer to the main part of the building than we are now.”

As they neared the center of the castle, they took extra care to be quiet, as not to wake anyone else. Mobius’ quarters were on the other side of the building from their guest area, so though they had little to fear, they were still cautious.

Standing at the top of the tall staircase that led to the upper floor and to the other wings of the huge manor, they started their search, moving downstairs to be thorough.

"I found the lift,” said Wren, whispering. She was standing behind the stairs, where the main hallway wrapped around the grand staircase. It wasn’t really hidden after all, but it was certainly what they had been looking for, and Merris’ pleased grin showed that he thought so too.

The elevator was clearly not meant for a large number of people, and it was almost uncomfortable, as close as they had to stand together. Twill definitely wouldn’t like to endure this ride with them.

“How far down does this go?” asked Wren, looking up at Merris.

“It’s underground, I don’t know? Far enough,” he answered. “I’ve only really run errands here before, while it was being built, I couldn’t tell you the numbers.”

“It’s still impressive,” she said. “I’ve heard there’s something like this under Bevelle too, but I’ve never seen it myself.”

The room they stood in when the gate opened to let them off the lift was easily the same size as the main hall of the mansion above ground. It was filled with crystalline benches in neat rows, all facing the front of the room. There were rows of great arches on either side of the room, molded into the ceiling and framing the room nicely, making it feel less empty. There was little else in the room besides a decorated altar, in the front center of the hall.

“Is this where they meet?” asked Wren, peering out at the altar.

“Yep. It can get pretty crowded in here, apparently. This town isn’t that busy, but Mobius has enough influence to bring in an audience, at least,” he said. “But there’s something else below us, another room that other people aren’t allowed into very often. That’s what we’re looking for.”

There was a large carving indented into the wall behind the altar, its border shaped like an arch, and depicting the form of Lady Yunalesca, her arms outstretched as she offered herself to the people of Spira in sacrifice, and a halo, or perhaps the moon, above her head.

“What… kind of group is Respira?” asked Wren.

“I don’t know very much about it,” admitted Merris. “Yevonism is all the same to me, no offense. It just doesn’t appeal to me.”

“No, I understand.” nodded Wren, looking at the carving. “This decoration feels kind of ominous to me.”

“Temple imagery tends to have that feel to it… Complete with the promise of a divine curse,” he said.”Tana made that. Mobius commissioned her to do a lot of decoration in his home and down here, so.”

Wren traced the carving with her hand. “She did this? Is she part of Respira?”

“Not unless she joined after I left,” he said, studying it with her for a moment. “Tana is headstrong. I don’t think she likes being told what to do by anyone, let alone some priest or god, even if she was religious. It was just a job to her.”

After a while of searching, the gathering hall seemed to be nothing more than it appeared. Wren was starting to doubt there really was such a place below this underground cathedral.

“Are you sure there’s really another level?” she asked, leaning against the wall.

"Positive. I was here when it was being built from the ground up,” Merris said. "Mobius had a large hand in the creation of this building in particular, but he did have help cleaning each level for construction."

"So that's why all this crystal it looks like it's made out of something magical," said Wren, nodding. “I wonder how he did it…”

As she trailed off, she realized that she could feel a draft. It tickled at her skin, and she had to pause for a second to decide where it was coming from. She called Merris over, and as they looked for its source, they found it. The carving itself had more than an indentation around it; there was a discernible gap between the edge of the carving and the wall around it.

Merris traced the arch with his hands, frowning. “This has to be it, but I don’t really know what I’m looking at.”

“Secret door?”

“Maybe, but how does it open?” he asked. “It doesn’t seem like it’s activated with any sphere… But there has to be something, somewhere.”

As Merris traced the mosaic of Yunalesca, he touched the moon, which was a decorative silver, inlaid into the stone rather than carved, as much of the goddess seemed to be. At his touch, a mechanical click was heard, as something locked into place, and the mosaic lowered into the ground, revealing another lift behind it.

This one’s decorative gate was quite pretty, but the lift was much larger than the other, the personal one Mobius used himself. Merris had said that not many people got to see it, but it was big enough to carry more than one person at a time. What was it for?

As they got on the lift together and descended once more, Wren heard it again. The Hymn. Only this time, she wasn't dreaming.

"What is that?" she asked, like she didn't believe it.

“The Hymn?” asked Merris, also unsure. “I hear a lot of voices… When this gate opens, we might not be alone.”

The fact that the lift had been at the top when they opened the door made Wren think otherwise, but she guessed Merris must have been thinking the same thing. She wondered if she would prefer to be alone, or to find other people behind the door when it opened. The singing was only getting louder as they reached the bottom.

The door at the bottom of the lift opened the same as the one at the top. As it lowered, it startled Wren, who was already feeling disoriented, thrown for a loop by the voices they heard.

The room inside seemed to be made of glass and crystal, just like much of Mobius’ decorating. It was similar in structure to the gathering hall they had just come from, with its arches, but the similarities stopped there. There were few decorations in this room, no seating for any guests, nothing besides a rich, colorful tapestry on the far wall, and obelisks, like grave markers, on either side of… something flat Wren couldn’t quite make out that was nested in the floor itself. As she looked around, she saw several more spots where the obelisks were marking something she couldn’t make out from where she stood, but she already knew.

They were alone in the hall.

“Fayth stones,” murmured Wren. She wasn’t sure if Merris had heard her, over the Hymn.

“Yeah,” he said.

They stepped forward, the lift’s gate closing behind them as they exited.

“Your sister,” said Wren, urgent as she tugged his arm. “She wouldn’t--”

“No! No, she wouldn’t,” said Merris, shaking his head abruptly. “She had no reason; she and Mobius weren’t even close. She can’t be here.”

Still, they had to look.

There were a total of seven stones, each one featuring the depiction of the human soul it contained, combined with the aeon their soul had taken the shape of. Wren recognized Kianpraty, a sturdily built man covered in stone and moss, but it was impossible to determine any of their identities.

“None of them look like her,” said Merris, after a minute.

“Then she’s still somewhere else,” said Wren. “She’s alive…!”

Merris winced. “Well… we know she hasn’t been turned into a Fayth. I hope that’s enough…”

“I do too… I’m sorry,” she said. “We’ll find her…”

“I know, I know,” he said. “I’m just tired. And really worried about her. She knows how to defend herself, but sometimes that isn’t enough. Bad things happen to good people every day. I can’t stop thinking about it, even though I believe she’s still alive too.”

Wren rubbed his arm soothingly, looking up at him with sympathy. The Hymn was almost overwhelming, seven voices singing in harmony. It shook Wren to her core, and that combined with the scare they had both just had made her want to crawl into bed and sleep for another week or so.

“We should go back,” she said. “We won’t find anything else here.”

Merris nodded, turning away from the stones. He’d had enough too.

The lift seemed to have automatically returned to the top when they turned back to the gate, making the lingering feeling of being trapped in that room take even longer to fade, before it finally arrived. They took Mobius’ personal lift up to the main hall once again, standing in silence.

As they rose back to ground level, Wren became increasingly uncomfortable, feeling almost like something was coming towards them as the lift stopped. When the gate opened, she was surprised to see Mobius standing directly in front of them.

“I was wondering who was wandering around so late at night,” said Mobius. The room’s lighting was already low, but standing behind the stairs with them, he looked almost ominous, his arms folded.

“I woke up, and decided to get some fresh air. When I heard the lift running, I knew it must have been one of you,” he said.

She didn’t think they were in trouble, but something felt off. She didn’t think he was very happy about what they had done. “I’m sorry. You said we were free to go wherever we wanted, but I guess that doesn’t extent to outside your home… I saw that room. Below the chapel.”

“You heard the Hymn,” said Mobius, bringing his arms back to his sides. “I understand. It calls me as well, but I suppose I’m used to it now, since this is my home, after all. I am the keeper of the Fayth stones in our Hall of the Hymn. It is an honor to be allowed to enter that Hall, you must realize.”

“...What are they for, Mobius?” asked Wren, quietly. “I don’t remember if I asked you before or not, but _why_ are you keeping them? They’re willing to fight for you, but I don’t even understand what it is you’re trying to do.”

“It is in the interest of protecting the people of Spira,” repeated Mobius. “If a great threat such as Sin were ever to arise against the people again, there will always be someone to protect the world’s citizens. If not myself, then someone else. I would give my life to defeat such an evil.”

He was expecting something, then. Wren was at a loss for words, and as she looked up at Merris, she could see that he was deep in his own thoughts.

“I should apologize,” said Mobius. “I only wanted to find out just who was using my elevator in the middle of the night. I didn’t come here to scold you for exploring my home, exactly as I encouraged you to do. If you don’t need anything else, then I’ll be on my way.”

Merris rubbed at the back of his neck. “Actually, I wanted to see something. Not now, of course, but do you think we could check out the inside of the temple before we head out of town tomorrow?”

“The temple is currently off limits to the general public,” started Mobius. “As you know, the temple is generating most of the town’s energy, so only authorized personnel--”

“I’d say it’s pretty important to Wren’s filming, don’t you think?” asked Merris, clearly trying to signal to her to speak up as well.

“Oh! I’d love to see inside,” said Wren, catching on. “I’m not sure my equipment will work inside, but I can at least take notes, like last time. I’d hate to miss out.”

Mobius seemed to consider something for a few moments. “I suppose it’s fine… but you must be careful. The way things are set up, it isn’t meant for just anyone to wander in aimlessly. If you’re cautious, then I will give you permission to enter.”

“Thanks. I really appreciate it,” said Wren.

“If you need written word, I’ll give it to you tomorrow, before you depart,” said Mobius, stifling a yawn. “I’ll return to bed once I’ve had my fill of the night air. Goodnight, to both of you.”

He turned away from them, then disappeared to the front of the staircase. Wren and Merris could hear him ascending the stairs, looking between each other nervously.

“...We should go back to our rooms,” said Merris.

Wren nodded, and they left as well.

The fire that Wren had started in the fireplace was dying as they reached their common area.

“We probably should have put that out,” said Wren, frowning just a little as she closed the door behind them.

“Probably. It turned out alright though,” said Merris, taking a seat on the sofa.

Wren sat down across from him, feeling like they should discuss something before they went to bed again. The events that had taken place between when they left the room and when they returned to it all made her feel ill at ease.

“Hey, why did you want to go to the temple so bad?” asked Wren.

“Don’t you want to see inside?” asked Merris.

“Well, yes, but it sounds like there isn’t much to see, if they’re running their equipment through there. And the lightning will probably interfere with my sphere recorder, so I can’t film… But it sounded like you wanted to look there yourself.”

“It’s the only place we wouldn’t normally be allowed to go,” he said, shrugging slightly. “I thought I might as well ask, since it’s all that’s left…”

“Yeah,” said Wren, resting her head in one hand while she thought. “I don’t know what Mobius is up to, but I like it less the longer we stay here… I don’t think I trust him after all. Didn’t that conversation feel weird to you too?”

“Absolutely,” snorted Merris. “He talks to you differently from other people. That whole time, he was speaking to you as if I wasn’t even there.”

“You’re right,” she said, frowning. “...Why do you think that is?”

“I don’t think it’s me he has a problem with. He has a bad habit of not taking other people seriously. I thought I could use your opinion to sway him into giving us permission, and it looks like I was right. I think he sees something special in you. I don’t know what that means, but it can’t be anything we want any part of.”

“I’ll watch out for him,” she said, nodding. “For now, let’s just go back to sleep… We’ll leave tomorrow and tell Twill everything we saw after that. We should get out of here, before he tries to sell us something.”

Merris laughed at that, a surprisingly light, bubbly sound. “I’ve been in such a bad mood all day, that surprised me,” he elaborated. “He does seem like a sleazy salesman, doesn’t he?”

“I guess that’s how priests of Yevon are, even if they aren’t part of Yevon,” admitted Wren, giggling softly herself.

They seemed a little more at ease after that, the mood somewhat lightened. It felt better to Wren, at least, who was sensitive to such things as infectious bad moods. With Merris relaxing finally, she was starting to feel better too.

“We should get back to sleep,” she said a moment later. “It’s going to be miserable tomorrow if we don’t get enough sleep.”

“Yeah,” said Merris, getting to his feet. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Wren stood up as well, ready to return to her room.

“Oh, yeah. Thanks for coming with me,” he said. “I have no idea how smoothly that would have gone if you hadn’t been there.”

“I’m glad I was there too,” she said. “I don’t trust him. I’m glad you accidentally woke me up for this. If it came to the worst, I’m not sure any of us could stand up against him. ...But I don’t think he’d get that mad just over you snooping.”

“Who knows,” he said, snorting. “Anyway… yeah. See you in the morning. Can’t wait to get out of here.”

“Me too,” nodded Wren. “See you then.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [link to related art gallery](https://slingbees.deviantart.com/gallery/64363069/Path-of-a-Summoner)
> 
> I actually recorded my own version of the Hymn of the Fayth for the purpose of showing what it Might sound like, but I'm obviously one person and not seven, and trying to fit anymore harmonies into the track wasn't going to work. At any rate, [here's a link to the video.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GYw5n5Mrriw)


	13. Might as Well

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Go ahead and...

The following morning, Wren and Merris told Twill what they had found deep below Mobius’ home. Twill’s expression turned to one of confusion.

“What does he believe he’s protecting Spira from?”

“He won’t say,” said Wren, shaking her head. “I’ve asked him two different times why he has his own Fayth, and both times he’s said the same thing.”

“Nothing suspicious about that,” said Merris, making a small jab in the air with his finger for emphasis.

He then swung his bag containing his things over his shoulder, and headed to the entrance.

“I don’t… understand what it is we’re getting into,” said Twill, scratching the back of their neck with a frown. “I feel like it’s my responsibility to keep looking into this, but at the same time, I know we’re in over our heads.”

“I feel the same way,” said Wren. “It’s… a lot to think about.”

Merris was nowhere to be seen when they made their way down from the guest rooms.

Mobius was waiting there for them at the bottom of the stairs again. The ominous aura from the previous night was gone, chased away by the light pouring into the room from the balcony window.

“Good morning! If you’re looking for your friend, he’s gone ahead,” said Mobius, cheerily. “I doubt he’ll be allowed entry without my word of approval, though. I’ve written it down in a letter for you to give the foreman, but he left without saying a word to me.”

He handed Wren a thick piece of parchment that was folded into three segments. She opened it to view its contents briefly, finding it to be exactly what he had said, instructions to allow the three of them into the temple.

“Thank you,” said Wren, folding it back up neatly. “We had better catch up with Merris.”

“I’m just sorry you couldn’t stay any longer,” said Mobius, gesturing the two of them to the door with a pleasant smile. He didn’t seem to have heard what she said about the other member of their party.

“Us too,” she said, starting to move.

She tried not to feel obligated to say anything else as the front door was opened and they left.

Once they were out the door and headed down the main street leading into the town, she spoke up again. “Do you think he noticed I was avoiding speaking to him?”

Twill tilted their head back, thinking. “I don’t… know what he notices. He seems to be in his own little world. But I’d say that most people would have picked up on that.”

Wren gave a small hum as they walked, picking up the pace. “Oh well. I don’t want to spend too much time here anyway. If I can avoid him, I will.”

As Mobius had said, they found Merris in front of the temple, pacing his anxieties away. When he spotted them, he stopped to pick up his things.

Wren showed him the piece of parchment given to her by Mobius. After reading it over, he shrugged, then motioned with it to the information center.

They took the parchment to the man from the previous day. He took them to the door, and unlocked the new mechanism that had been put in place to keep the general public out. He allowed them inside, wishing them well with whatever they might find.

Unlike the other temples, this one had a living feeling to it. There were large cables to carry power to the town lying on the ground. Every light inside glowed fiercely, as if somehow supercharged, yet never burning out.

“This place has been defunct as a temple for a while now,” said Merris, squinting into the light of the path ahead of them. “I haven’t really been here since they were installing all of this.”

“They moved their place of worship to that place beneath Mobius’ mansion,” said Twill. “They can’t have visitors with these lines running energy to the town, but I’m still suspicious of his intentions.”

“I think we’re past suspicion by now,” admitted Wren, frowning. “But without knowing what he’s really up to, all we can do is keep our heads down and pretend we suspect anything…”

Merris grunted in agreement, and the three of them moved on, careful of the lines as they walked.

“As far as I can tell, I don’t think people come in here very often,” he said. “They only send someone here to check the lines if there’s a problem, usually with fiends. I don’t know what we’ll find in here, so brace yourselves.”

The walk to the innermost sanctum of the temple wasn’t far. The lift was already operational when they arrived, so they let themselves in. When the lift stopped, they were standing in a large, dark room unlike the previous rooms. Twill set a light, and they found themselves staring into an endless pit.

“This is like what I saw in Kilika,” said Wren, stepping back from the pit so she was still standing at the door. “Something came out of the pit…”

“The Pyreflies,” said Twill, nodding.

Merris was inspecting something on the far wall from the door, standing over what appeared to be a broken Machina.

“This explains why the lights are out,” he said, frowning. “This is where the power runs from, but the light has been damaged… I guess it has been awhile since they sent anyone in here. This should probably be considered a safety hazard. If anyone reported it…”

“Maybe a fiend broke it?” asked Wren. “This is where all those fiends came from too, right?”

“That’s right, but… I don’t think this was a fiend,” said Merris. “If they left it like this, with no signs of any fiends around, they would have fixed it by now.”

He got on his knees and started searching in the mess of broken parts, as if the machine had been smashed. He inspected the bits and pieces, screws that had fallen out of place, and bent plating. After a few moments, he stopped, staring at something in his hand.

“What is that?” asked Twill, bringing the light closer.

“It’s… one of Tana’s earrings. She made it herself,” said Merris. “I don’t know how recently, but she was here…”

“And no one else has seen her since she supposedly left town…” said Wren, eyeing the pit. “Hey, Merris…”

He turned his head, stuffing the earring into one of the pockets on his belt as he stood up. “Yeah, I think she fell. Or someone pushed her, who knows. There are signs of a struggle here.”

“Mobius said that these pits lead directly to the Farplane,” said Wren. “Is that where the energy is coming from too?”

Merris nodded, beginning to pace the floor once again. “Yeah. I don’t actually know that much about the process. Some kid was here working on it who designed the whole thing, but like I said, I haven’t exactly spent much time here.”

He stopped pacing, and then sat down on the ground, burying his face in his hands while he thought. “I have to get down there somehow…”

“Think it’s safe to jump?” asked Wren, wincing. “I mean… if the energy is running from the Farplane, someone has to have explored what’s on the other side, right?”

“It should be. They had to send people down there somehow,” said Merris. “She could still be alive down there…”

“If we had some way of rappelling down, we could make it without having to jump. But we don’t even know how far down it goes,” she said. “You can’t even see the light from the Farplane from here.”

“...I’ve heard,” said Twill, frowning. “I don’t know, but I’ve heard that’s how they dealt with the first outbreaks in the temples, when these pits first appeared. That people jumped into them to take care of the fiends? And lived to tell the tale, of course. The Farplane is really its own realm, like the other side of the veil… But whether or not it’s safe to jump in...”

“We had better consult Lady Yuna,” admitted Wren. "Even if we entered from Guadosalam, I don't know how we'd be able to find Tana."

“That might be a good idea,” said Merris, sighing.

Wren took the CommSphere given to her by Yuna out of her bag, inspecting it for a few moments. She activated it, and braced herself for an answer when the sphere responded to her touch.

“Hello?” asked Yuna’s voice.

In the dim image of the sphere, she could see Yuna’s face. It was still early in the day, but she seemed to have been awake for some time now.

“Wren?”

“Lady Yuna?” answered Wren. “I’m sorry to bother you so early, but… We have reason to believe that someone is in danger, and may be stuck in the Farplane.”

Yuna paused for a few moments, as if she was studying the image seen in her own CommSphere. “...Where are you right now?”

“We’re inside the temple in Djose. There’s a big pit here, like the one in Kilika,” said Wren, turning the sphere so the hole was visible. “We want to rescue Merris’ sister, but we… don’t know what to do, if she really did fall.”

“Those holes do lead directly to the Farplane,” said Yuna, her tone becoming serious. “I fell into one of them myself, a few years ago. Exactly how doesn’t matter, but I wouldn’t advise you to jump in headfirst. But if you're doing it to save a friend, then I'll admit it should be fine, if you did.”

“It _should_ be?” asked Wren.

“I did have to return a few times, but it's not as if I did it because I was curious,” said Yuna. “I’m not even actually sure how the holes are connected to the Farplane, but each time, I didn’t have as much as a scratch on me.”

“Wren,” said Twill, freeing their hand to tap her shoulder.

She turned her head to look at the other, who gestured around the room. The room was now suspiciously empty, apart from the two of them.

“He’s already gone. I’m going to follow him,” said Twill. “I’ll make sure he’s safe.”

Wren paused for a few moments, frowning, before looking back at Yuna. “Well, it looks like all my friends are jumping down holes, so I guess I have to too.”

Yuna gave a weak laugh at that. “Let me know how it goes, if you can. I hope you find what you’re looking for.”

“I do too. Thanks, Yuna,” said Wren, dipping her head.

The sphere went dark, and Wren tucked it away once again, then looked over at Twill for validation.

Twill nodded to her, though they also seemed nervous. “He’s braver than I am. But I’d better go after him, just to make sure he makes it back.”

Wren wasn’t sure she had much of a choice but to jump. She only had other people’s word that it would be safe, but thinking about it made her feel worse. She tried telling herself that on the other side would be a huge, soft bed for her to land in. She’d be alright.

“Let’s jump together, on three?” she asked.

“One…”

She gripped her bag tightly.

“Two…”

They both stepped closer to the edge, looking down into the abyss.

“Three!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is really late because I’ve been busy with a bunch of other stuff, but I’ve been slowly chipping away at this chapter, and have already started the next.
> 
> It’s not very interesting but it was starting to run very long, so I cut it in half from what I’ve started writing of the next chapter.
> 
> Also I’m updating this from my phone so forgive any formatting mistakes, I’ll fix them later.


	14. Tana

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> [Spongebob voice] the gang's all here

The next thing Wren knew, she was lying in the grass of another world.

She had hit the ground, that much she knew, but the impact felt like no more than tripping over her own feet. She hadn’t even felt the sensation of falling once she jumped. She could tell she was going to be covered in bruises, and she had landed on her bag.

Frantically, she sat up, then began checking her equipment for damage. Her camera and recorded spheres were safe, but the CommSphere…

As a result of someone's tampering, it did appear a little more fragile than her own equipment, and it hadn’t been properly secured when she jumped. The sphere itself was cracked, while the base was badly dented. As it was, there was no way Wren could see to activate it.

She frowned. “The CommSphere is broken… I don’t think I can fix this.”

“I’m sure Yuna will understand,” said Twill, still lying on their side in the tall grass, as they had fallen.

“If she doesn’t think I’m dead,” said Wren, a little worry in her voice. “I guess I could write to her to tell her what happened, but I think that’s the end of that lifeline.”

“Worry about what to do once we leave the Farplane,” said Twill softly, sitting up. “We need to find Merris.”

They were standing in a huge field, with grass tall and thick enough to conceal a person while kneeling. The light all seemed off color from their own world, pink and rosy like a sunset, but it was almost as bright as if it was noon. The sound of rushing water seemed to come from everywhere, with no identifiable source.

Wren called out to Merris. They had jumped in only seconds later, he couldn’t have gotten too far away from them.

He didn’t answer.

“Do you think he can hear us?” she asked, looking up at Twill.

“He should be able to. Unless he got up and sprinted to the other side of the field as soon as he got here, for some reason,” they said. “Let’s keep moving. Don’t go too far away, I don’t want either of us getting separated.”

She nodded, and the two of them started making their way across the field, careful not to leave each other's sight. They called out for Merris every so often, waiting a few moments each time for an answer.

The tall grass faded away into a clearing, and at the end it broke off into a new path. Wren realized that the grass behind them looked undisturbed, as if no one had been here in a long time. As if they hadn't passed through it only seconds before. It was now impossible to see where they had landed when they arrived.

The path led down, deeper into the Farplane. It was only about three feet wide, carved into the side of the rock they were standing on. From where they stood, they could actually see the expanse of the otherworld. Massive waterfalls seemed to appear out of nowhere, tumbling over the sides of a great, rocky canyon. In the center was a lush valley, stretching on in a way that made it appear much smaller from a distance. If they followed the path, it might take them closer to the valley.

They followed the path together, with Wren in the front, and Twill watching over her. The sound of the water was getting louder as they descended, so they stopped trying to shout over it. If Merris couldn’t hear them before, he certainly wouldn’t be able to now.

At the end of the path, they discovered the mass of land they were standing wasn’t, in fact, connected to anything else. It was a big, floating island, with a path much like a corkscrew surrounding its sides. The edge of the path broke off into a trail of floating rocks, which they could attempt to jump across.

“I guess this is the only way he could have gone...” said Wren.

“It has to be,” agreed Twill.

Wren was regretting that she wasn’t as athletic as either of her companions, but the path made by the rocks wasn’t too treacherous. The prospect of falling terrified her, but it reminded her of an extreme game of ‘the floor is lava.’ Each rock was flat enough on top for her to jump to without slipping or losing confidence as she moved, like stepping stones.

Twill had a considerably easier time, however, loosening their robes to leap across the path, skipping a couple of steps on the way.

“I guess the spear on your back isn’t just for show. You can really move.” said Wren, pointing with a nervous laugh.

They nodded, pleased. “I’m a little rusty with it though. I haven’t had much use for it since I left Guadosalam.”

As they moved on, they looked around, peering across the lush land ahead of them. It stretched much farther out than they realized from above. They were now standing at the valley’s edge.

Wren’s head was spinning from the open plain as she looked around. She could turn around and see the void of clouds she was actually standing in, in one direction, and in the other was a flourishing paradise.

Twill tried calling for Merris once again.

This time, they got an answer.

“Over here!”

Neither of them wasted any time in scrambling towards the voice that had answered them. There, hidden by rich foliage, was a small shelter built between the trees. Resting under it was a dark skinned girl with blonde hair she tied back with a loose red ribbon, and eyes just like Merris’. Standing beside her, outside of the shelter, was Merris himself.

The girl was holding something in her hands, woven out of colorful dried grass, it looked like. It appeared to be a bracelet, but it wasn’t yet finished. The pattern was simple; she was tying it off with a rosy colored stalk as they stood there.

Wren looked between them for a moment, unsure of where to start.

She didn’t have to, though, because Merris knelt down beside the girl with a frown. “What is this? What have you been doing down here?”

Tana gestured to a pile beside her of similar looking trinkets, each one roughly the same, but with the unique quality of having been created using materials from the Farplane. “I’ve had plenty of time to screw around. Waiting for grass to dry and weaving it into something new, mostly. What else is there to do when you’re stuck in another world with no way out?”

“There’s no way out?” said Wren, frowning. “There’s the entrance in Guadosalam, we can get out that way, can’t we?”

Twill gestured to the sky, where Wren could make out another hunk of rock floating like a balloon above them. “It’s all the way up there. Disconnected from the rest of the Farplane.”

They stood in silence, Wren still staring at the smallish rock above them.

“Anyway… this is my sister, Tana,” said Merris, gesturing to her. “And these guys are the ones I’ve been traveling with. Wren is traveling Spira, making a record of the High Summoners, and Twill and I have been looking out for her. And each other.”

Tana smiled at them, showing cute dimples. “It’s nice to see another face around here. You know, besides the dead. Because that’s what’s down here. Pyreflies, and more Pyreflies.”

Twill laughed at that. “You have a dry sense of humor. I like that. I’m Twill.”

“So the little Chickadee must be Wren,” snorted Tana, giving a small wave.

“So… you’re alright, then?” asked Merris. He scratched the side of his face, looking more perplexed than anything.

“As much as I can be, but what about all of you? Now we’re all stuck down here,” she said, frowning.

Merris sat down on the ground finally, resting his chin in his hand. Wren began wringing her hands, looking off in this distance. After a few moments, both she and Twill also took a seat near the other two.

Tana shrugged again, then reached for more of the dried grass she’d set aside, beginning a new bracelet.

“How did you get down here?” asked Merris, handing her the lost earring from his pocket.

“How do you think? Mobius pushed me,” she said, scowling as she took it. “Either he thought the fall would kill me, or he thinks me being stuck here is just as good.”

Wren looked shocked. “Are you okay?”

Tana turned her attention to Wren, her eyes softening at her worried expression. “I’m still alive. I didn’t think he’d do anything like this, but I can’t say I’m that surprised, after what I found out.”

“...What did you hear that made him want to get rid of you?” asked Merris. “We searched all through his mansion, the only questionable thing we found was a room full of Fayth stones, and he didn’t bother us about it.”

She rolled her eyes again, frowning deeply while she worked. “I’ve ignored his business for a long time, because he’s got the money to keep the town running. You remember when the showed up after the Machine Faction disbanded when Gippal left? Everyone was trying to figure out where to go from there, so when he shows up with plans to put a real town there, we were all on board. We’d been living there unofficially long enough to be pretty comfortable, right?”

“Well, he’s not much of a leader,” said Tana, waving it off. “But he’s got an interest in keeping Djose together, so he appoints someone else to do that job--that’s me. I run things, he funds it. I turn a blind eye to his group, because I’m not interested, and he doesn’t bother me with it. They’re not hurting anyone, why should I care?”

“What about the Fayth stones?” asked Wren.

“I’m getting there. Maybe a month before all this happened, I noticed a few people who were part of his group got awfully quiet. It turns out, it’s because they’ve been turned into Fayth. There’s nothing that says creating a Fayth is a crime, apparently it’s a religious freedom--and it’s common knowledge that in order for a summoner to harness a Fayth’s power, they must have the Fayth’s blessing. So these people gave their lives for him, for _some_ reason.”

“Well, I’m still not satisfied, even knowing that he definitely has the ability to summon each of the Fayth he keeps in that Hall. ‘There’s no reason for anyone to have that kind of power now that Sin is gone.’ That’s what anyone would say,” she said, looking up at them. “Actually, he’s the one who told me himself what he was up to. He asked me about something that happened when the Machine Faction first moved in. I was one of the first people to explore the temple after it wasn’t being used anymore, since it’s a little out of the way and at the time there wasn’t anything else there.”

“I’m not sure how to explain what happened, but it was me and a few other people, before we set up our equipment, and when we investigated the Fayth chamber, there was what looked like… a big blob of Pyreflies? It attacked me, and no one has seen it since. Mobius was certainly interested in it, though.”

Wren’s eyes lit up. “Hey! The same thing happened to me, in Kilika. I was out like a light for about a full day.”

“Really?” asked Tana, raising an eyebrow. “Well, I don’t know how much you’re going to like this, then. He heard what had happened to me from some of the other people who were scoping the temple out initially. It was mostly just rumors, but he told me that was why he’d appointed me to take care of things around town, apart from his guards. He asked me what had happened, and then he told me a little more about it, once I was finished.”

“Apparently, I’ve been carrying part of someone’s spirit inside me for almost four years. He said the Farplane sometimes spits out Pyreflies, sometimes in the form of Unsent—people whose will or ties to the living world brought them back from the Farplane, and sometimes as the little ones you see all over Spira, especially on ground that’s sacred to Yevon,” she said. “But lately, this has been happening, rarely, and randomly, but for a few years now. The same thing apparently happened to him, in Bevelle, where he came from before coming to Djose. The Pyreflies are coming back up as these… amalgamations, and they’re not particularly friendly. They do what they did to you and me, and they’re just… living inside us. Mobius said the amalgamations are incomplete, however, and so they don’t have very much effect, but I’d felt a little weird ever since I met him, and I think it’s because of the Pyreflies. He has them too, and I think they were reacting to each other.”

“Why didn’t I know about this?” asked Merris. “You just said some fiend attacked you.”

“I didn’t know it was important back then,” she said. “I thought it _was_ some kind of fiend.”

“I’ve felt that from Mobius too,” said Wren, remembering the weird feeling she’d had when she arrived in Djose, and when she was sneaking around with Merris. “But I don’t feel it from you…”

“And that explains why I always sense the Farplane on you,” said Twill, frowning as they glanced to Wren. “Not that being able to sense death is a useful skill, inside the Farplane.”

Tana nodded. “I think that’s how Mobius knew to ask around about me, to be honest. I think he sensed it from me too. He said to me that it could cause things like… weird dreams or gut feelings like that, but apart from feeling off around him, I’ve never noticed anything strange since then. I don’t dream very much.”

“I have that,” said Wren, quietly, frowning.

“Right, apparently he does too,” said Tana. “But I asked him a little more about it, and he suggested I show him where it happened. So I took him to the temple. I showed him the pit, and we dealt with a few fiends, it wasn’t a big deal. Then he asked me to join Respira. I said I wasn’t interested, of course, but he said that I might be interested in his goal, if I wanted to learn more about the Pyreflies.”

“What is his goal?” asked Twill.

“He said he wants to restore Spira to its natural state,” she said, grimly. “He wants to bring back Sin. And apparently he needs all the little pieces of those souls to be able to do it.”

The air felt stiff as she said that, everyone sat stunned while they processed it.

“Why would he do that?” asked Merris, his eyes flashing. “After a thousand years of suffering, we finally get to catch our breath, and he wants to destroy it?”

Twill’s expression was almost blank, their eyes glazed over as they thought. “So many people died because of Sin… I can’t even imagine the numbers after that long. We can’t go back to that. I can’t either.”

“I don’t know anything else,” she said, shaking her head. “As soon as he said that, I couldn’t even think of how to respond. He knew we didn’t see eye to eye immediately, and then there was a struggle. In the end, he threw me down here with nothing but my sword. I don’t know _why_ he does anything.”

“He needs the Pyreflies…” mumbled Wren, feeling nauseous. “And… that’s why he’s so interested in me. Because I pushed him out of the way because I thought he was being attacked. They were coming to him… like they wanted to be completed too. But now I have them instead…”

Merris sighed heavily. “This is a lot to think about.”

“He wants to use me to bring back Sin…” repeated Wren. Her head was throbbing. Her arms and legs didn’t feel like they belonged to her. “I need to lie down.”

“So if Mobius knows you have part of them, then why has he left you here alone?” asked Merris. “Wouldn’t he come after you?”

“Only if he thinks I’m still alive,” said Tana. “Or he already thinks I won’t be for long. There are definitely other ways to die besides starving or dying of thirst.”

Twill assisted Wren in making a place for her to lie down in the grass, using her bedroll to rest her head, then helped her to it, setting her down gently.

“I honestly might have given up soon, if you all didn’t show up,” said Tana, curling her knees up to her chest. “I’ll be okay. If you all think we can find a way out, or if you don’t, at least we can keep each other company.”

“Hey…” said Merris, frowning and scooting closer to her. “Don’t say that. We’ll be alright. We’ll get out of this place and things can… go back to sort of normal, until we figure out what to do about Mobius.”

“We will have to find some way to keep him from realizing his goal, whatever his actual plan may be,” said Twill, returning from assisting Wren.

“I only know as much as I told you,” admitted Tana. “I don’t know how many pieces of these clusters there are, or how much he already has, and I don’t really even understand what it is to do with Sin at all. We’d have to find out from him.”

“In a perfect world, we wouldn’t have to give him the chance to tell us,” they said. “But then again, in a perfect world, we wouldn’t have this problem in the first place.”

Tana folded her arms, shaking her head slowly. “I think we’re getting ahead of ourselves. The first thing we have to think about is how to get out of here.”

“You’re right,” said Twill, nodding. “We should try looking for anything resembling an exit. Cover as much ground as we can, within reason, then come back here.”

“The three of us should split up as long as we’re going to be looking. There’s a lot of empty space here,” said Tana.

Merris pointed at Wren, who had managed to start dozing off, attempting to sleep off her headache. “Someone should stay here with her. It would be bad if we left her here alone without an explanation and she woke up.”

“Then I’ll stay, I guess,” said Tana, leaning back again. “I’ve been looking since I got here myself. Someone else might find something I missed.”

The two of them nodded in agreement, then got to their feet. Merris started in one direction, while Twill headed in the other, and Tana returned to her idle braiding, now placing a mild amount of attention to the girl sleeping in the grass before her.

Though it was quiet again without the other two, with Wren there it was already far more tolerable than without her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If I spend far too long looking at a chapter once I've finished writing, and I can't think of how to condense or streamline it any further, I just go ahead and post it. Worrying about overthinking outweighs my fear of making mistakes, somehow. Having said that... I worry that some of this won't make sense because I overexplained to compensate, hoping providing more details would make it easier to understand. 
> 
> So uh, if you're confused you can ask me here, or send an ask to my tumblr, and I'll try to answer to the best of my abilities, lol (and possibly edit the chapter to be a little more clear, at a later date, we'll see.)
> 
>  
> 
> [Link to related deviantart gallery with character doodles and chapter illustrations](https://www.deviantart.com/slingbees/gallery/64363069/Path-of-a-Summoner)


	15. Deus Ex Anima

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gone, babe.

This time, when Wren visited that city once again, it was full of life. The people she had wondered about were now bustling in all directions, even though it was dark out. She could hear them chattering happily about their lives and the night they were having. It was all idle, but it made her feel at ease to see the previously empty city with its inhabitants accounted for.

She weaved through the crowd with no real idea of where she was going. Just like real life, the people in the dream seemed to be more or less gravitating towards the Blitzball stadium. Wren didn’t feel particularly compelled to sway with them, instead opting to find the other half of the nightlife. Where were people spending their nights for fun? Apart from Blitzball, a culture which she was all too familiar with already. 

Wren found her way to a less crowded street than the one that seemed to cut the city in two, though it was still quite busy. There was one building she could see that seemed to have the largest number of people passing in and out of it from the street every so often, and she made her way towards it.

Inside, it appeared to be a regular bar, something that didn’t really surprise her after she thought about it. She wasn’t old enough to drink, but she took a seat at a table away from the bar by herself, the table empty because of the larger groups people seemed to be traveling in.

The walls were decorated with many draping fabrics of varying patterns, the colors ranging on the warm side. There was a small flower vase resting on the dark wood table, which seemed to be well used. At one point, it seemed to have some kind of varnish applied, but when could only see traces of it left, it was worn down from use. All in all, a very lived in look, but not decrepit looking at all.

What was she doing here…?

The last thing she remembered was being told that the Pyreflies she had picked up in Kilika Temple were still residing within her, and that Mobius, for whatever reason, needed them to revive Sin. She must have fallen asleep after her head started hurting.

Tana had also said that the presence of another soul could cause strange dreams, she recalled. It was like she was the receiver for the images played on a sphere. The sphere was a conduit, channeling information and consciousnesses--essentially capturing the souls of those who appeared in the recording. Now she was doing the same, playing the scene in her head, but this scene seemed to be alive, much like the recordings of Blitzball games in Luca.

If this really was a dream, though… Wren closed her eyes for a moment, spreading her hands apart from each other, as if holding something between them. After a moment of concentrating, something popped into existence in the empty space, cold and slightly damp. A glass of water. She wasn’t very good at that sort of trick, willing things to happen in her dreams, but these dreams seemed to be a special case. 

She focused on the plant this time, attempting to make it disappear, just as a test, but nothing happened. The thought came into her head that she could probably really only change things that affected herself here, if this was someone else’s dream. It was more control than she had over her current situation, though. She was unable to do much about things in the real world, where she was trapped in the Farplane.

“The Farplane?” asked a voice, softly, just in her ear.

Wren turned her head to see who had spoken, but there was no one there.

She set the glass down on the table, leaning back in her seat suspiciously, still looking around the room with her eyes.

“I don’t have a physical form right now,” the voice said. “I don’t mean to frighten you, but you won’t find me by looking.”

Wren frowned at that.  _ “Are you reading my mind?” _

“A little bit. Sorry. I can only do it in this space, though. This is your dream, after all.”

_ “Who are you?” _ asked Wren.

“A wandering spirit, these days,” the voice said wryly. Wren decided the voice was a woman’s. “I don’t mean you any harm, in case you were wondering.”

_ “I’m still a little suspicious,”  _ she admitted.  _ “Not that you’re dangerous, just of this whole thing.” _

“That is understandable,” the voice said, this time giving a laugh. “I probably wouldn’t like it very much if a spirit without any visible form started reading my mind, when I was alive, either.”

So she was dead? Wren guessed that’s technically what it meant to be a spirit, anyway, but… That was… creepy.

“It happens to us all eventually.  But I can’t say I’m really at peace with it yet, either,” said the voice. “But… you mentioned the Farplane. You’re trapped?”

_ “In the real world, yes…” _ said Wren, frowning. _ “We’re in the lowest part of the valley. At least, from what we can see… It’s so big. A person could get lost there forever. It’s kind of scary, when you think about it. But there might be an exit none of us have found yet that we can reach.” _

“I wouldn’t rule this world out as a fake, but I understand what you mean,” it answered. “Can you show me where you are?”

_ “Show you?” _ asked Wren.  _ “I… don’t know. Sorry, I don’t know what you mean.” _

“Try to shut out the rest of the dream for a few moments,” it said, guiding her. “Try to imagine the place, and recreate it as best as you can. It…  doesn’t have to be exact, of course, but try.”

Hesitantly, Wren decided to trust the spirit’s advice, having no real reason not to. As she shut out the surrounding noise, the room around her started to go dark, as if fading out of existence, but she could still feel the worn finish of the table in front of her, still sitting at the chair in that bar.

_ “This is weird.” _

“That’s alright. You’ve got it. Just keep focusing on the Farplane,” it said. “Pyreflies are malleable reflections of consciousness and memories, you should have an easier time here. They’re a little like a recording on a sphere. The reason you can beckon a lost soul to you in the Farplane, they react to your conscious thoughts. It’s a lot like a dream, wouldn’t you say?”

_ “Hold on, let me concentrate.” _

Slowly, the valley came into focus, some twenty or so feet above where she was in reality. She and the whole table appeared to be floating in the sky. Looking down, she could see where she had fallen asleep, and the other three were sitting around Tana’s makeshift shelter. They were speaking, but even if Wren could hear them from here, she had a feeling it would be nothing but nonsense, if this was a dream. Seeing herself lying in the grass while she slept… was pretty weird.

“I only have this kind of power in the Farplane, so don’t expect me to grant any wishes,” said the voice. “But I’m going to open a door for you and your friends to leave.”

“So we can go back to Djose Temple?” asked Wren, out loud now.

“If that’s where you want to go back to.”

“How?”

“The Farplane is also shaped by the wills of those around it, but only unconsciously. Sometimes, people like me… choose to leave. If our will is strong enough,” it said. “I’m a little different from most spirits, and I can’t call myself Unsent, either, but I am not living. I have a little more power here than most.”

“Sorry, this is a little bit over my head,” said Wren, still looking around. “I’m listening, though. I understand that you’re trying to help me, so I guess how doesn’t matter, but I don’t understand why.”

“As I said, I’m not Unsent, but I have an interest in the world of the living. I consider myself similar, but that’s not what I am. My point is, I want you and your friends to be allowed to leave, and I have the ability to help, so I am.”

“That’s…  a little confusing,” said Wren, sinking slightly into the chair. 

“We’ll have a chance to talk some other time. I’m going to open the door now. So be sure to be ready to leave, when you wake up.”

“Right now? Okay. Thank you…”

She was aware of a shining light appearing in the scene before her as she felt a hand on her shoulder in the real world. 

Her consciousness faded back to her real body, and when she looked up, she was staring into Twill’s face, uncovered by their usually layers of scarves.

“A portal out of here just appeared,” they said, shaking her slightly. “I don’t know where it will take us, but we can leave.”

She sat up, disoriented. She looked up at the sky for a moment, shaking her head slowly. “It’s… open?”

“Yes. Get up before it closes,” they said, standing up again. 

She felt like she was still dreaming, as she moved, but she grabbed her bedroll and her bag and stood up. She was moving a little slower than she would have liked, but at least she was getting her senses back.

Tana and Merris were frantically packing their things. Tana hadn’t had much on her when she had fallen, but Merris had apparently gotten comfortable in the time Wren had been asleep. 

Wren looked in the direction Twill was facing, seeing a shining arch in front of them. It was impossible to see where it would lead, but Wren knew without a doubt that this would at least take them back to Spira.

“You’re the expert, right?” asked Tana. “Where’s that thing going to take us if we go through it?”

“Djose,” said Wren, without thinking.

“What… uh… makes you say that?” asked Twill, turning around.

Merris finally finished packing, tying his bag shut quickly as he followed them.

“I don’t know,” she said, shaking her head. She recalled the dream’s events, mostly, but she still couldn’t know for sure if she was right until they walked through it. She still couldn’t be completely sure she could trust the spirit. 

She was the first one to step forward, reaching a hand through the portal. “Nevermind. We need to move, if we want to get out of here.”

Twill murmured in agreement, following her. The other two rallied behind them as well, stepping across the threshold one behind the other.

 

* * *

 

They were standing outside the temple.

“Huh…” grunted Wren, looking up at the floating boulders far above them.

“How did you know it would take us here?” asked Twill, looking at her.

“I, uh… I had a weird dream?” she offered. “There was someone talking to me, who said they were a spirit, and… they said they’d open a door. I mentioned Djose because it was the first thing that came to mind, but if I’d known it would really work, I might have said something more useful…”

“This happened because of a dream?” asked Twill, blinking. 

“Because of the Pyreflies…” said Tana. “Mobius has been having these dreams for a while, from what I can tell. What else can a dream do?”

“It wasn’t the dream, it was because of the spirit, who spoke to me in the dream,” said Wren. “And… she said she could only do it because we were inside the Farplane. I don’t think she has that much power outside of it.”

“So we shouldn’t worry about Mobius teleporting wherever he feels like it,” said Tana, snorting. “Anyway, we should get going. I have a feeling I’m probably not supposed to be here.”

“Do you want us to get anything from your house?” asked Merris. “You’ll probably need some supplies if you’re going to have to travel with us.”

“No time,” she said, shaking her head. “If anyone sees me here, word will spread. For right now, I don’t want Mobius to know where I am. I  _ sure _ don’t want to start anything here. I’ve got a little money on me, I can buy supplies at the next stop. Until then, I've got my sword, and... way more woven grass bracelets than I need.”

“The next real stop won’t be until we reach Guadosalam,” said Twill, securing their scarves over their head once again.

Tana started walking anyway. “Sure, and we can travel by chocobo to the Moonflow. Is there a problem?”

The rest of the group followed, heading down the trail away from town. “Well… I’m not exactly sure I’m welcome there anymore, but I only meant that it will be a while before we can get some real supplies. We still have to cross the river, and then it’s still a bit of a walk from there.”

“I’ve made the trip before, don’t worry about me,” said Tana. “What do you mean you’re not welcome, though? Are you in trouble.”

Twill briefly explained their history in the Guard, and their sudden, unsanctioned departure from Guadosalam.

“Yeah, I can see how that might be a problem,” said Tana, frowning. “If you’re still going anyway, all we can do is find out for ourselves, but the Guado have been through a lot since then. I bet things will be different from what you expect.”

“Well, I hope so,” said Twill. “If I really believed I was going to be in trouble when I arrived, without any doubt, I wouldn’t go. I’ve heard some talk about what’s been happening, so I’ve been hoping that I would be allowed to pass, with the confusion going around until relatively recently.”

“We’ll be alright,” said Tana, nodding enthusiastically. “I’ll put in a good word for you. I'm in pretty good with their leader, since Guadosalam trades with us.”

As the others chatted, something else bothered Wren. She hadn’t gotten a straight answer from the spirit who freed them about her identity. She had no idea who or what the spirit was, only that they had been alive at one point and weren’t Unsent. 

And, she realized, she’d forgotten to ask if it had anything to do with the dream that kept playing in her head. In her heart, she felt she could guess the name of that city on the sea, but she almost didn’t want to think it. Exciting, but a little frightening. It was too strange, and in the confusion as the spirit tried to explain itself, she’d lost her head for a minute.

When she next had a chance, she would remember to try to get some real answers out of her, if she could. If she reappeared, that is.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hahhh, just when I had almost caught up on my chapter illustrations, I messed up my wrist and now the only creative thing I can do to pass the time is write. Luckily, I'm on a roll right now. Things might be a little slow again for a bit after this update while I sort my notes and such, but I've got a good feeling about this.
> 
> [As always, here's the link to my related deviantArt gallery.](https://www.deviantart.com/slingbees/gallery/64363069/Path-of-a-Summoner)


	16. Ride ze Shoopuf?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> All aboards!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, hi! It's been a while.
> 
> I've actually been slowly hacking away at this chapter for a while, but I wasn't really satisfied with the tone, or I couldn't get ideas flowing. Usually when that happens, for me, it's best to let things sit for a while before I come back to it. 
> 
> Newly proofread, chapter 16 is finally here.

“Why are we going away from Djose?” asked Merris, keeping his eyes on the path in front of his chocobo. “If our goal is to stop Mobius, we should be going back into town.”

“Even if we stop Mobius here, without proof we’re gonna make a lot of people upset, and we’d be in a lot of trouble,” said Tana, who was squarely in front of the group. 

“I don’t like the word ‘stop,’” said Wren. “But I don’t think we can take him on right now anyway. He’s got a lot of aeons, I don’t know if we’re strong enough…”

“It's too dangerous to take that gamble right now either way,” said Tana.

“Yeah. And if we go after these pyreflies, we can cut him off. Stop anyone else from ever trying this again in the future,” said Wren, murmuring mostly to herself.

As they were nearing the end of the ravine path, she huffed softly, a twisted expression on her face. “This all sounds crazy. I only came all this way to record as much of Spira’s history as I could find, I didn’t think I’d get caught up in all this…”

“A sane person would probably quit your company once they heard mention of Sin,” said Twill. “But I feel a sense of duty. I  _ couldn’t _ leave you to handle this without any help, knowing what we might be up against.”

“I might have left after we found Tana, but she’s got her own ideas,” said Merris, laughing. “So it looks like you’re stuck with me. I want to get back at Mobius, too.”

Tana hummed in agreement. “You’d be wrong if you thought I was going to let him get away with what he did to me. Not that preventing a crisis isn’t enough motivation, though.”

By the time they were making their way down the trail to the Moonflow, the sun was already starting to fall in the sky. It was still light out, but the sky was turning a familiar rose color already.

“I don’t think we’re going to make it across the Moonflow today,” said Twill. “They stop running the Shoopuf crossing after dark.”

“We’ll see about that,” said Tana. “But even if we don’t make it, we have a head start against Mobius. Pretty sure he’ll be in a hurry to leave, if he figures out what we’re doing. And if he makes it to Bevelle before us…”

“What’s in Bevelle?” asked Wren.

“Apart from a mountain of secrets? He’s got an airship that he keeps there,” said Tana. “The geography around Djose is too rocky, so he keeps it in Bevelle, where it was manufactured. But to be honest, I think it was just an indulgence. He’s got too much money to blow. But if he finds out we plan to cut him off, he’ll definitely be in a hurry to find the rest of the rogue pyreflies.”

“We won’t be able to keep up with him if he gets to the airship first,” said Wren, nodding her head. “So… we’ll have to do something about that too?”

“I’ve got something in mind,” said Tana, grinning. “But for now, we’d better keep up our current pace, if we wanna beat him.”

As the banks of the Moonflow finally came into view, they came upon a sight Wren had only seen once before. As the sun dimmed in the sky, more pyreflies became visible, gathering, naturally attracted to bodies of water. The river itself was no longer visible, the only proof of its existence the sound of gently lapping water slapping against the reeds and the rocks of the banks. Instead, the river was a stream of the souls of the dead, brightly illuminated by their celestial shimmer.

“I never get used to the Moonflow at night,” said Twill. “In part because of the inconvenience of stopping here at night, but of all the places I could possibly be stuck until morning, this isn’t so bad."

“We’re not stuck  _ yet _ ,” huffed Tana, dismounting her chocobo. “Let me talk to the ferryman.”

She passed her reins to Merris as he dismounted, leaving him standing between two birds eager to return to a comfortable stable. At once, they started attempting to wander off, forcing him to guide them along before he had really processed the task he had been given.

Twill and Wren watched Tana as she spoke to the hypello, who waved his hands in protest as he spoke. The conversation was just barely inaudible over the ambient sounds of the riverbank around them. Leaving Tana to handle her negotiations, they followed behind Merris, laughing softly at his plight as he led both birds to an empty stall in the station.

When their chocobos were safe inside the stable, waiting for the next set of travelers in need of a mount, they rejoined Tana, who seemed to be reaching an agreement. She turned to the rest of the group.

“He’ll take us across, but it’s going to cost double the usual fee,” said Tana. “I’d take it, if I were you-- if we got here any later, he would have been long gone. We’re lucky he just got back to this side of the river.”

“That’s a little steep…” mumbled Wren, thinking.

The ferryman huffed, muttering something incomprehensible.

“Hey, he’s doing this as a special favor to me as it is,” said Tana, shaking her head. “I’ve got some money on me, I can cover anyone who needs it. Are we good to go, or not?”

“We don’t have much choice,” said Twill, nodding. They began fiddling around in their bag for their money. “We have to get ahead while we still can.”

“I can pay for myself,” said Wren, glancing apologetically at the ferryman as she reached for her bag.

They exchanged a small coin purse worth of gil for their passage, and the ferryman was surprisingly accommodating, for someone eager to return home for the night. One by one, the lift was operated, allowing each of them onto the shoopuf’s carriage on its back. It was a tedious process, as they balanced their seating in the carriage, slowly maneuvering around each other and their bags, but they were soon on their way.

“The shoopuf must be tired too,” said Wren, glancing out the side of the carriage to see the back of the creature’s head. “I think this is the same one from when I was little. I feel a little bad for it for making it run so late.”

“I guess you can’t really explain the needs of the greater good to a shoopuf,” said Merris, folding his arms while he thought about it. “But at least it’ll get to turn in for the night once we’re gone.”

“We’re running a little low on gil, after that,” said Twill, frowning just a little. “I’m more concerned about how we have to proceed, of course, but we might have to take on hunting jobs on our way through Guadosalam…”

“We don’t have time for that,” said Tana, shaking her head. “But I know where we can stay for the night. There’s a new business where the inn used to be. They’ll let you stay the night for free if you help out. We’ll lose a little bit of time there, but all we have to do is help with breakfast.”

“It must be new,” said Twill, yawning. “I’ve never heard of such a place.”

“It’s a fairly recent venture,” she confirmed. “There’s been a shuffling around of establishments, since the town was overrun a few years ago.”

“Oh yes, I did hear that,” they said, making a face behind their scarves. “Sphere hunters, weren’t they?”

“Yep, after that big craze between the factions scrambling for movie spheres,” said Tana, nodding. “The town was basically abandoned, so they moved in. Now that all that’s over, there’s finally some order again. They even reopened the Farplane entrance there.”

“So the Guado have it back under control,” hummed Twill. “Which means the guard has been reestablished…”

“Oh, yeah, I think so?” she said. “The sphere hunters backed down without much fuss once the Guado came back. I think it was because they were the only ones who could restore the Farplane entrance to the way it used to be, but the fact that the Guado actually had a claim to their homes might have had something to do with it too.”

Twill shook their head slightly, rolling their eyes. “I can imagine. But that isn’t what bothers me.”

“You were in the guard before, right?” asked Wren.

“Yes… I can’t really complain too much about my time spent there, but…” 

“Seymour?”

“Uh, no, apart from that,” said Twill, frowning deeply. “I had another reason for wanting to leave before that, that was just the point where I knew I didn’t have a choice anymore.”

“C’mon, you can tell us,” nudged Merris gently. 

“Well, it was just my mother,” they said after a moment, tugging at one of their long sleeves. “She’s… a fine parent. But it feels like she forgets there’s a line between her duties and her home life. Um, she was a high ranking member of the guard.”

“Is that why you joined?” asked Wren, leaning forward to wrest her elbows on her knees.

“A little. There was a lot of pressure on me when I was little to join the guard when I got older. So of course I did, but I was happy to do it,” said Twill. “Things changed after that. My mother started to see me more as a young recruit with a legacy to live up to, rather than her child.”

“Somehow the pressure to succeed and climb the ranks got heavier. I should have left sooner, but… I think I was waiting for an excuse.” They swallowed, then gave a small short as they shook their head again. “Well, not that Seymour’s arrival wasn’t a good enough reason. If I hadn’t been considering leaving before, I certainly was then, but I waited until things got worse before I made up my mind.”

“It’s good you got out when you did,” said Tana, nodding her head. “I can’t imagine what goes through the heads of people like him, or any other person in power who abuses their position. Neither of us were at Home when it was attacked, but every Al Bhed in Spira got the message.”

“That the attack even happened is unforgivable,” said Twill, looking to her. “Although… I heard that after the initial attack, the one who ordered the Al Bhed Home to be destroyed was Cid himself. I have never understood this. Is that true?”

Tana muttered under her breath, shaking her head. “Yes, it was. They took as many people as they possibly could on that airship they brought back, but the risk was way too high. The whole thing is a travesty. I don’t know what  _ he _ was thinking either. I hope I’m never that kind of leader to Djose. I won’t put people’s lives at stake for anything.”

“You’re already better off than either of them,” said Twill. “Lives shouldn’t have to be lost in order to save them. You have the resolve, and you’ve got the people’s best interest in mind. You personally helped my people too. I think that says a lot about what kind of leader you are.”

“I sure hope so,” said Tana. “I never want this town getting tangled up in anything like Yevon politics. But it looks like it’s already too late for that.”

“That’s why we’re going to stop Mobius,” said Merris, speaking up. “We’ll take your town back. I don’t care what his money is worth.”

“The town is well enough off to support itself now,” she said, grinning. “It might be a little harder at first, since we’re still expanding, but we’ve got everything we need to stand on our own. Besides, I’m in good enough with old man Tromell to discuss our options when the time comes.”

“Tromell?” asked Twill, blinking. “The… the royal steward?”

“Oh yeah, obviously there was no one to take over after Seymour disappeared,” she said. “I guess he was the natural choice after that. I don’t really know, I only started getting involved after Guadosalam started getting back on its feet.”

“Tromell…” mumbled Twill, shaking their head. “You’re right, I guess there probably wasn’t anyone else.”

The discussion was making Wren’s head spin a little as she tried to organize the facts in her head, but she was listening intently. Somewhere along the line, she had started taking notes, using what little light was left to quickly scrawl them down.

The ride was coming to an end, the shoopuf settling into the opposite riverbank for the last trip of the day. Wren our her book away, looking out over the Moonflow. She took out her sphere camera, starting to record what she could, though she suspected the picture would be a little fuzzy. 

“Going ashores?” called the ferryman. The platform to disboard the carriage was already raised for them to exit. In fact, her friends were already moving onto said platform.

Wren shuffled her bag around her camera carefully, moving beside them while still filming. 

“Guadosalam isn’t far from here,” said Tana. “The walk isn’t very long, but it gets dark inside the woods.”

“I can light the way,” said Wren, putting her camera away. “But if we run into any fiends…”

Tana patted the hilt of her sword on her hip. “We’ll protect you, little bird. Just keep the path lit for us.”

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Related deviantArt gallery with character references, chapter illustrations, and more here!](https://www.deviantart.com/slingbees/gallery/64363069/Path-of-a-Summoner)


	17. Breakfast is Served

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Old and new faces.

The path to Guadosalam wasn’t long, but Tana had been right: there were plenty of fiends. Twill commented that it wasn’t unusual, as the entrance to the Farplane was inside the town, but they had seen more action on the road than anticipated, especially since the entrance was being cared for again by the guard.

Wren could only keep her torch burning while the others took care of the fiends. She felt chills as she avoided the skirmish, all the while keeping the path lit.

Tana had an interesting way of moving while fighting, Wren noticed. It was fluid, and had a rhythm to it that reminded her of ocean waves. She was light on her feet, and though her attacks were undisciplined, she took advantage of the landscape and the timing of the attacks of the other two to quickly defeat any fiend before them. Wren couldn’t get a good look at the sword in motion in the dim light, but she could see the light shimmering off of the nicks in the metal. It looked shorter than the average sword she’d seen in her whole life, and curved and broadened near the sword’s tip. It was perfect for close range combat. She would make a note of that—it was difficult to cast around Merris’ style of fighting already, she was lucky not to have singed him.

They neared Guadosalam with only mild scrapes and bruises.

Twill seemed hesitant to cross the threshold of the ancient tree hollow that marked the entrance of the town, but they followed nonetheless. They had quieted down considerably since they left the Moonflow, however. No one pushed the issue with them, tired and eager to get a soft bed for the night.

They went deeper underground, and Wren could see the roots and vines that made up the walls of the passage into town. It made for interesting architecture, and though it was too dark to see, she recalled it being bright and colorful, with stained glass that mimicked organic patterns of foliage.

Tana directed them to the inn, shuffling them through the door one at a time. They were blessed that the inn was so close to the entrance of the town.

There was a strangely dressed man sitting at the desk, tall and lanky. He was human, but it was difficult to tell from the way he was dressed head to toe in a strange purple garb, only his face visible. He seemed to be fighting off sleep himself.

“Room for the night?” he asked, stifling a yawn.

“There are four of us,” said Tana, nodding.

“I see,” the man replied, somewhat rudely as he opened the thick tome in front of him to a marked page. “It’s good to see you’re back in town, though I wasn’t expecting you to bring such an entourage with you. Rumors from the grapevine mentioned that you had gone missing. What were you up to, I wonder?”

“Nothing, nothing, don’t worry yourself about that,” snorted Tana, waving her hand.

“I wasn’t.”

Tana ignored him. “Oh, but you know what? My friends and I here had to pay off the ferryman to take us across so late. We’re a little short right now.”

He sighed. “I take it you’ll be staying for breakfast, then. There are never too many extra hands to go around in the kitchen. You’ll arrive early, of course. The service lasts three hours.”

“Do we have time for that?” asked Wren.

“We don’t have a lot of choice, unless you want to sleep on the ground,” said Tana, patting Wren’s shoulder. “It will take time for Mobius to catch up to us, and breakfast is early enough that I’m not worried.”

“Since we cleaned up a few fiends on the way here, I’ll check the board,” said Merris, nodding. “If we’re lucky, we’ll be able to pick up a couple bounty fees tomorrow.”

He moved away from the group, checking a sign along the wall to the right of the door. There was a small bulletin board with scrawlings of fiends or lists promising rewards. He began scanning it for anything pertinent to them, pointing with his finger while he searched.

The man at the desk cleared his throat, a little too obnoxiously, tapping a pen on the guestbook. “Sign here, please.”

Each one of them signed their name in the book. Wren signed last, looking at what Twill had written. It was difficult to read, almost illegible, but it most certainly did not say Twill’s name. Had they intentionally written a pseudonym? Or was their handwriting really just that bad?

They were pointed to their room, and Twill rotated between healing the three who had been fighting the way there.

“We may still be sore tomorrow, so be sure to get plenty of rest,” said Twill. “Although the bruising should mostly be gone.”

Tana rocked back in her seat briefly, thinking. “Are you gonna be alright working tomorrow?”

“Oh, right, about that…” said Twill, frowning. “What exactly is involved in kitchen duty?”

“It’s just a couple of hours— I’ve never actually done what we’re doing right now, because I usually have more time to prepare before I leave on my trips here. But it’s exactly what it sounds like: cooking, cleaning, serving the food,” she said. “We’ll be able to split the work up pretty evenly, since there’s already four of us, plus the regular staff.”

“I would prefer to stay in the kitchen as much as possible,” said Twill, removing their extra layers. “I want to leave as soon as we can. And I won’t be able to stay hidden while we’re working.”

“We can work something out,” said Tana, smiling weakly. “Oh, uh… also, the meal is served inside the mansion, in the gathering area. It’s not usually very crowded, and all we really have to do is put food on people’s plates, so we may even get to leave early.”

“Not great,” said Twill. “But that’s about what I expected. There aren’t many places to hold large gatherings.”

“I’m sorry about this,” said Wren, rubbing at her cheek as she listened.

Twill glanced at her. “It’s not your fault. I’m the one who decided to be like this. But I do want to make this as painless as possible. I’d rather put off seeing anyone I know for as long as I can.”

They murmured among themselves for a while longer before going to sleep, deciding the sleeping arrangements arbitrarily.

* * *

 

The next day, they were let into the mansion with no problem. As they made their way to the kitchen, there was a woman darting back and forth between stations in the kitchen, cleaning things as she went along setting out cooking instruments for the morning.

She wasn’t particularly dressed for working in the kitchen, which was odd, since she did seem to be doing that. Would the three of them be the only ones to serve for the day?

“Oh, good, you’re here,” she said, putting a hand on her hip as she stepped back from what she was doing. “The usual kitchen staff is _late,_ so I came here to give instruction myself. They _should_ be here soon, if they plan on keeping their jobs.”

None of them really knew how to respond to that, but Tana didn’t miss a beat, stepping forward to continue the woman’s efforts, and the others followed suit.

“This is Leblanc,” said Tana, removing her coat and setting it aside to get to work. “She runs the inn herself. Obviously, that includes the soup kitchen.”

  
“I don’t normally get my hands dirty in the kitchen, it’s not really my area of expertise,” said Leblanc, directing them to the ingredients she had laid out for the day’s meal. “But if the staff is a no-show, I’m the only one left to handle things. I don’t want to think about what would have happened if the four of you hadn’t shown up last night.”

Twill removed their layers and began to help finish what Leblanc started as they all dispersed. “It sounds like you’ll need someone to stay in the kitchen and manage things. Luckily, I’m at least a half decent cook. If you can direct me, I can make sure it gets done.”

“Oh, good, at least one of you has the right attitude,” said Leblanc, glad for someone to cooperate so eagerly. “Not to worry--I’ll be overseeing your work here until my staff arrives.”

As she turned to look at the one who had spoken, she eyed Twill a little oddly, like she was thinking, but she said nothing else. She was distracted when Wren brushed past her a little too closely in the narrow passage between countertops, scowling even when the poor girl began apologizing profusely.

The other two expected regular staff members arrived minutes later, dodging Leblanc’s scolding by hurrying her back out of the kitchen so they could get to work.

Things ran much more smoothly from there, and all six workers in the kitchen prepared breakfast for the people beginning to gather in the mansion. Twill managed to avoid leaving the kitchen by displaying competency in the area, to the delight of the two Guado workers. The spread was laid out, then the customers formed a line, and each one received a plate in succession, until the flow of people trickled to a stop.

Breakfast was nearly over.

Wren stood beside the food table, helping herself, now that everyone else had been helped. She hadn’t realized how hungry she had been, after preparing and watching everyone else get their food.

As she stood by the table, absently noshing from the plate she’d gotten for herself, she spotted someone moving into the kitchen. She wasn’t really sure what the rules were on that, so she debated saying nothing to stop the official-looking Guado. Until she saw three more people following a few seconds behind them.

She set her plate down, running after the group to see what was happening.

“Twill--” she gasped out quietly.

The four Guado surrounded them, two grabbing them by their arms, pulling tightly behind their back so it was painful to move.

Twill’s expression was pure frustration, but they did nothing, going limp in the arms of the guards.

“What are you doing?” asked Wren, raising her voice so she could be heard over the noise of what was barely a struggle. “What’s going on?!”

Twill didn’t answer, instead turning their head away from Wren.

The guards started to take Twill away, dragging them out of the kitchen and across the room to who knew where.

Wren followed after them as far as she could, to the back of the gathering hall, where the door was shut in her face. She turned back around to look around the room.

There were few people left in the room, besides the staff. The one or two Guado still there for breakfast seemed intent on minding their own business, but they had certainly noticed the scene. She spotted Tana and Merris, who appeared to have been chattering in the corner quietly until moments ago. Their faces were as confused as hers.

For a moment, none of them moved.

Then, the door in the back of the room opened once more.

The person who entered the room was an elderly Guado woman, whose age only truly showed in her face, but her posture was stiff, almost shriveled. She wore the same uniform as the other guards, but more ornate, with harsher shoulders and a unique trim not present on the regular uniforms. Her hair was a somewhat unusual shape, an even dustier pink that ended in a single horn, rather than branching off into multiple locks, as was common. She appeared to be tired, or perhaps very worried, and she rubbed at the marks left by crescent-shaped spectacles at her nose.

She looked to Wren, then followed her eyes to where Merris and Tana stood, and beckoned them with one hand.

“My name is Fennel,” she said, when they approached her. “There seems to have been a misunderstanding, but I understand that you are traveling with Twill?”

They nodded slowly, unsure of what to say.

“What’s going on?” asked Tana, narrowing her eyes. “Why was Twill taken away?”

“As I said, there’s been a misunderstanding,” said Fennel, shaking her head. “I am in charge of the Farplane guard, yet I did not make the order. It seems someone mentioned Twill’s presence to the wrong person. Twill will be released, but I do need to ask you all some questions. Please come with me.”

Tana held her tongue for the moment, not wishing to make things worse.

As Fennel turned away, the three of them followed behind her, through the door, into the next room. Into a secret room below the main floor of the mansion.

It didn’t surprise Wren that a place like this had a creepy underground room underneath its leader’s home, but she wished going down into them wasn’t becoming a regular occurrence.

It appeared to be the guards’ barracks, from the looks of things. There were more guards down here than she’d seen anywhere else in the town, but even here, it was more obvious there were not very many of them, at least compared to the numbers she had seen in Luca.

Fennel led them to a room that branched off of the others. Inside was a comfortable looking sitting area, two more guards, and Twill, seated on one of the comfortable cushions on the floor.

“Twill!” said Wren, running to them. She landed on her knees on the cushion beside them, and threw her arms around their shoulders. “Are you alright?”

Twill gave a startled gasp when she threw her weight against them, but patted her arm gently. “I’m... a little confused, but I’m fine.”

Merris took a seat beside the two of them, while Tana opted to stand as they entered the room.

Fennel allowed each of them inside before dismissing the guards and closing the door behind them. She took a seat across from the group, and as she did, Tana decided to sit as well, less on edge when it felt more obvious that she really did only want to talk.

“Oh,” said Twill, understanding the situation. “I see you’ve met my mother.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Related deviantArt gallery with character references, chapter illustrations, and more here!](https://www.deviantart.com/slingbees/gallery/64363069/Path-of-a-Summoner)


	18. Mistakes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Not even proofreading this one don't look at me

“I want to apologize again,” said Fennel, Twill’s mother. “I received word that someone had spotted you here, working in the kitchen, and that they had restrained you where you stood, completely without warning. I gave the order for them to release you, but the damage was done. I had no intention of us meeting again like this. I am deeply sorry.”

“Well, I am a known deserter,” said Twill bitterly, sitting on the cushion across from her. “I guess that means you weren’t the one who gave the order to restrain me.”

The room they were all seated in was a nice little meeting place, with a low table in the center. The five of them sat around it in a circle, but it looked like it could seat twice that. It was mostly used as the Guard’s break room, but it cleared out for special occasions, as it was originally meant for diplomatic discussions. Such talks were more uncommon as the Guado had considerably loosened its grip on Spiran politics, between the establishment of the Council,  and Yevon becoming less popular. Fennel considered this to be a special occasion.

“No, I wasn’t. We are no longer seeking deserters of the previous era,” she said, shaking her head. “There is no room for leftover ideals from Seymour’s brief regime. You and any others have been cleared of the accusation some time ago. I _will_ find whoever did give the order.”

Twill pinched their forehead with one hand, frowning. “I know you will, but I doubt you can make up for what just happened just with a stern talking-to. I don’t need whoever was responsible to be punished, I just need to know it won’t happen again.”

“Of course.”

“So what have you called us here for? After they stopped treating me like a criminal for escaping the rule of a man unfit to lead, they brought me here,” said Twill.

“I’m sorry for that too,” said Fennel, sighing. “There are a few who still believe in Seymour’s ways, even after our exile from Guadosalam. I’ll take care of it.”

“First, please introduce me to your friends,” she said, looking between the faces of the group. “I recognize Tana, but I don’t believe I’ve met these two.”

“This is Wren, a sphere recorder from Luca, and Merris,” they answered, gesturing to each of them. “I’ve been journeying with them for a short while now, but it’s very important that we leave here as quickly as possible, Mother. I don’t have time to catch up.”

“I have to say that I’m a little hurt,” said Fennel. “I know that our relationship has been strained for a number of years, but I’m quite surprised you would come back here without seeing me for even a moment.”

“It’s… very complicated,” said Twill. “But you can’t say that you expect me to be very happy after being kidnapped, anyway, we aren’t sure of the details, but I really don’t want to involve anyone else. Not even you.”

Fennel glanced at the others again, as if looking for an answer, but they seemed uncertain they should answer, between her and Twill.

Tana spoke up. “Mobius is up to something. I shouldn’t say anything that will endanger anyone here, but we’re on our way to Bevelle, and it’s very important that we get there before he does. If he reaches Bevelle first, we might all be in a lot of trouble.”

“Mobius?” asked Fennel. “I’ve never met the man myself, but I have heard of him and his group. Guadosalam has been… distrustful, of the old ways, since the start of the Eternal Calm, so it doesn’t really surprise me to hear that a group affiliated with Yevon could be causing trouble.”

“I don’t know if you’re aware, but I have the highest authority under Lord Tromell. If there is something to be investigated, I can see that it’s done,” she said, her voice lowering.

“I _didn’t_ know that,” said Twill, cutting their eyes to the side, staring at the wall past Fennel. “But I can’t stress how dangerous this situation might be. Right now, we need to act as covertly as possible. Please don’t get involved.”

Fennel pursed her lips into a line, but sighed. “I _shouldn’t_ look the other way, if it’s truly that important.”

“Would it help to consider this a chance to make up for forgetting how to behave like family once I became eligible to enroll in the guard?” they asked. “I need you to forget your duties for just a moment. If you act on your own, you might endanger my friends and me, and that might endanger you and everyone here.”

“Twill…” she sighed. “I’m sorry I put so much responsibility on you, but you must know what this sounds like to me. I haven’t seen you in years--you tell me that everyone here could be in great danger, but I’m supposed to ignore it? And you aren’t even sure of the situation you’re in?”

Wren opened her mouth to interject. “Um… I don’t really know about your history, so I don’t want to get involved and step out of line, or anything, but… Ma’am? It really is important that we leave. The reason we stayed for breakfast is because we couldn’t afford the night here, and had to pay it off somehow. If we are being followed, we could lose a lot of time here. It’s really risky, but we need things to stay quiet, so we can get to Bevelle before Mobius even realizes what we’re up to.”

“I know there must be no way to guarantee your safety, but couldn’t I at least convince any of you to tell me what it is you’re up against?” said Fennel, looking at Wren.

“It’s… hard to say,” said Wren. Neither she nor Merris seemed to want to step on Twill’s toes by telling Fennel more than they should.

Twill glanced away for a moment again, then sighed. “We don’t know exactly, yet. But we’ve found out that Mobius is planning to somehow undo the Eternal Calm and revive Sin.”

The look on Fennel’s face went from shock to horror. She glanced over her shoulder the closed door, as if she was glad that she had dismissed the guards only minutes earlier.

“Please tell me why I shouldn’t get involved in this,” she said, suddenly quiet again. “If someone stops him before he makes his attempt, then there will be nothing to worry about.”

“You can’t,” said Wren, shaking her head. “Even if you imprisoned him, he’s been creating his own Fayth. I saw the Fayth stones under his home myself, there were about seven of them. It would be too dangerous…”

Fennel’s mouth hung open for a moment while she thought. “How will you handle it, then? What will you do that my guard cannot?”

“We will cut him off. If he wants to revive Sin, he needs to collect a number of unusual Pyreflies, which he has absorbed into himself. We don’t know exactly why this is, but Wren and I both have one of them within us already. We can collect them before he gets to them, and then he won’t be able to finish what he started,” said Tana.

“We think,” echoed Wren, though she was doubtful about the nature of Tana’s pyreflies. “I don’t know much about it myself… We’re trying to piece all of this together.”

“I… suppose I will keep this to myself, then,” said Fennel, frowning deeply. Her lips were pursed into a tight line. “I wish that I could try to stop him when he arrives here, but if it will endanger you, then my best attempt isn’t enough.”

“Thank you,” said Twill, bowing their head in relief. Their shoulders relaxed considerably, as if they had only realized just how tense their posture had been.

“This is a heavy secret to keep,” she said, rubbing her neck with one hand tenderly. “Perhaps if I had raised you differently…”

“Now isn’t the time, Mother,” they said, folding their hands together. “We could talk about this after things calm down, but right now we really have to go.”

Twill got to their feet, stretching their shoulders for a moment. They still seemed troubled on some level, but also somehow relieved that this discussion was overwith.

“If you let us go now, do we still have to finish our kitchen duty before we can leave?” asked Merris.

“It was clearing out when we left, and I sure don’t want to lose anymore time,” said Twill in agreement, shrugging.

“I don’t know how happy that woman will be about it,” said Fennel, shaking her head. “But honestly, I doubt she will try to stop you from leaving. The worst she could do is blacklist you from the inn until you pay your fee. I’ll take care of the fee myself, of course.”

  
“Thank you,” said Twill, sighing.

“It’s really the least I can do,” she said, getting to her feet.

When she stood, the others rose to their feet as well, looking a little uncertain.

“Please notify me at once if you need anything. I will offer whatever aid I can,” said Fennel.

“Will do,” said Merris, stretching. “I’m not sure if we’re going to need help, but we barely know what we’re getting into. It’s not a very short trip through the Thunder Plains, either. You don’t think you could slow Mobius down if he comes after us, do you?”

“He could always travel by boat,” said Fennel, frowning. “Though the trip wouldn’t be much shorter… If he does come this way, I doubt I will be able to do anything without arousing his suspicion. I’ve never seen the man myself, as I said before. It would be more suspicious if I did interfere with him.”

“If Mobius does come this way, please act like nothing is different,” said Tana, firmly. “Don’t tell anyone else to even be on the lookout for him. It’s too dangerous to try to stop him.”

“We’ll let you know if anything changes.” Twill nodded as well. “We should be going.”

Fennel stepped aside, pushing the door open to let them out. She led them once again, past the gathering hall and to the main entryway of the mansion. Wren took a moment to gaze at the many paintings that decorated the stairways on either side of the curving room. Each one appeared to be the leader of the Guado, from the time the painting was placed on the wall. It felt weird, having all of those eyes on her, and some of the later ones had particularly unsettling eyes. Somehow this room managed to stay intact, even after it was taken over and the Guado had abandoned it, it appeared.

“Please be safe,” said Fennel, as the doors were opened before them. “The Thunder Plains have been under control lately, but that’s not to say it’s completely safe. And there is the nature of your journey…”

Twill nodded. “I think we’ll be alright. Thank you for worrying about me.”

“Will you come home after this, just for a visit?” asked Fennel. “We can discuss things then. What you’re doing is far more important, I agree… but afterwards, I would like to see you again on better terms.”

“Probably,” they said, starting to pass the threshold of the door. “But for now we really have to go. I’ll… see you then, I guess.”

The group collected their things from the inn, then made their way to the edge of the town.

“Oh, I think I left my scarves in the kitchen,” said Twill, turning around to look in the direction they had come from.

“Do you want to go back?” asked Merris. “I can run back and get them for you myself, if you want.”

“No, it’s fine. I guess I don’t really need them, since I know I’m not in any trouble,” they said, frowning. “I just want to leave here as quickly as possible.”

“That’s fair,” said Tana, patting them on the shoulder as she passed. “Maybe someone will hold onto them for you. At least now you’ll be able to move a lot more freely without them.”

Twill laughed as they walked. “It’s been some time since I’ve used my spear _as_ a spear. I might be a little rusty with it, but I’m confident that it’s better than my black mage skills. I doubt I’ll be abandoning my magic completely, though.”

“That’s a lot of people to worry about hitting,” murmured Wren, blinking for a moment. “I only know one type of offensive spell, too.”

“Oh, I’d forgotten,” said Twill. “I can teach you water magic, if you’d like. We’ll probably need it, in the Thunder Plains.”

Indeed, as they were walking through the increasingly thinning woods, Wren could hear the rumble of thunder in the distance. “I’ll need more than just water if we run into Mobius…”

“I have a basic knowledge of the different elements, so I can teach you those as well, but let’s just focus on what we need for now,” they said.

“And,” they added, gesturing to Merris and Tana. “If you’re so worried about the rest of us, maybe we should teach these two how to use magic too. With more range, you won’t have to worry about hitting anyone.”

“I can use a little?” offered Merris, shrugging. “But I mostly use it to make myself a little more resilient during a fight. I bet you might have noticed I almost never take a hit from bigger, slower fiends. I don’t think I can do anything like shooting lightning out of my hands, though.”

“No way,” said Tana, shaking her head. “I know how to wound a fiend badly enough to make it easy for others to take out, but I’ve never been any good when it comes to magic. I don’t need it.”

“You can’t use any magic?” asked Wren, blinking.

Tana shrugged. “Well, you know. All I’ve ever needed is my sword. I’ve never spent a lot of time around any mages, so it’s not like anyone could show me. Besides, I can use special gems set in my sword to deal extra elemental damage to special fiends.”

“Wait, really?” asked Merris, leaning over to look at the hilt of her sword tucked into its sheath. “I thought those were for decoration. I would have asked for special gauntlets or something a long time ago if I’d known I could be hitting harder with fancy crystals.”

“Nah, the gems are pretty hard to get, except from certain fiends,” said Tana. “They’re some kind of natural magic. I’ve only got a few of them myself, I couldn’t make anything for you without them.”

“Well, we’ll just have to find more,” said Merris, pretending to be offended. “Then you can make up for it.”

“Sure, if we can spare the time. Once we get to Bevelle we won’t be in nearly as much of a hurry,” said Tana, snorting. “The trick is to get the gems before the fiend fades away.”

“How do you do that?” asked Merris, blinking.

“With practice,” she said, shoving him. “I know what I’m doing.”

While they teased each other, Wren found herself thinking about other things. She was happy for Twill, but at the same time she was worried about what they had imparted to Fennel as well. As long as Fennel kept her word, there shouldn’t be any trouble, but that wasn’t quite what worried her either. Ever since Djose, those dreams had been weirder, and she didn’t know what connected them to the current situation with Mobius. Tana said she never had dreams like that, but Mobius did. It wasn’t a coincidence, she knew that, but she had no idea what it meant for her.

What were they going to do about him, anyway? Gather the pyreflies, but then what? Was that enough to stop Mobius? She would have to talk it over with the others once they knew more. Their first order of business seemed to be to take care of the airship.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Related deviantArt gallery with character references, chapter illustrations, and more here!](https://www.deviantart.com/slingbees/gallery/64363069/Path-of-a-Summoner)


	19. Stone in Motion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Getting the ball rolling.

The rain first started as a fine mist, at a distance, then came a light drizzle. The sound of rolling thunder could be heard faintly even from Guadosalam, but here it was always present. Though the group had left Guadosalam feeling lighter, the rain did little to improve their moods further. 

“There’s no way around the Thunder Plains, or else we wouldn’t come this way,” said Tana, disgruntled over her ruined hair. 

“But Mobius will have to come this way too,” offered Wren, laughing at the image of the man soaked to the bone through his many layers of clothing, and his bare midriff. She doubted even the airship could be flown here, with the sky in such a state. It would be too dangerous. She laughed a little at that as well, somewhat morbidly.

The towers that protected travelers from the violent flashes of lightning were in view, but some distance off. The lush wooded area had become barren, rocky, and drowned. The mud squelched unsatisfyingly under their feet as they wandered the landscape, huddled together to keep from losing the group.

The thunder meant it was rare to see a chocobo as well. There had been sightings of wild chocobos on the plains before, but the birds were too jittery to be tamed, and were usually lost somewhere between the Calmlands and the Highroad. Traveling on foot was the only way to get through the watery desert, and naturally the only place to stop and rest was the Travel Agency halfway through.

The heaviness of the rain varied between times of the year, but it had become so thick it was difficult to see very far ahead of them. Wren was grateful for the markers that helped them stay on the road, or else there would be no other indicator of the well traveled path, since any footprints or wear would be washed away immediately by the storm. With the many fiends on the trail, it was too easy to get turned around.

Twill had been right to try to show Wren the basic lightning spells they knew, because her fire would have been understandably useless in the rain. The fiends in the area were a mixed bag of clashing elements, both those that thrived off of electricity, and the mucky environment created by the waters itself. Wren picked the spells up more quickly than she thought she would, and the two mages were driving the monsters away from the group with ease.

They had traveled in silence until the Agency was in sight.

Merris peered at something he could only barely make out, his whole face scrunched up as he tried to see through the rain.

“I think I see someone lying on the ground,” he said, raising his voice so he was audible. 

Without any further explanation, he sprinted ahead of them, splashing through the mud to reach a crumpled heap Wren could now make out as well. She dashed after him.

There appeared to be an old man lying in the mud. He was lucky that he had landed so that his face was propped up by his arm, a mere few centimeters from the water, but he appeared to be breathing.

Merris shook him gently, but there was no response.

“We have to get him inside,” he said.

He turned the man over, then scooped him up in his arms. The mud flecked against his skin and clothes now didn't bother him as he made his way to the Travel Agency, shielding the old man from the rain as best as he could. The other two put the pieces together and followed behind them, eager to get out of the rain as well.

It was dangerous to stray very far from the path when the storms got heavy like this, as they created uneven ground and pitfalls. The water would sometimes appear more shallow than it really was, and it was unadvised at any time for anyone to travel alone. What had the old man been doing? He was close to the Agency, but hadn't been facing it at all, and wasn't far off the trail. Perhaps he had slipped, or tripped over hidden debris in the mud… As long as he was breathing, they had to help him.

When they entered the Agency, the Al Bhed woman behind the counter shouted at first, alarmed by the collapsed man in Merris’ strong arms. She jumped over the counter to meet them, then directed the group to a back room that seemed to be dedicated to first aid, in case of emergencies like this. 

There was a cot in the room for them to stretch the old man out on, which they did so at once.

Wren could see his chest was still rising and falling, if shallowly. Was he coming to? 

Twill sat beside the cot, making a strange face. Their hands were outstretched, as if preparing to heal the man, but they seemed uncertain about something.

“This man is Unsent,” they said, frowning.

“Wait… really?” asked Tana, blinking as she looked at him. “He's still breathing… Do Unsent need to breathe?”

“I don't know, I've only met one once before,” said Twill, shaking their head. “We were right to be concerned for his safety either way, but I don't think it's very likely he was in any real danger.”

“He didn't feel any different from a regular person,” said Merris, in awe. “How can you tell?”

“It's, um… Hard to explain,” said Twill. “I don't think Unsent are really very different from the living, except that they don't exactly feel right. It's almost like they have this… smell? The Farplane has a unique feeling to it. I sense it on Wren, but this man exudes it. If we had left him lying where he was, or we reached him too late… I bet he would have found a way back from the Farplane again. Something must be keeping him from moving on, for him to be here in the first place.”

“That's kind of scary…” said Wren, though she somehow didn't feel surprised. “Should we do something? You can perform a sending, can't you, Twill?”

Twill thought for a moment. “I don't know if it's right to send someone who doesn't want to be sent. He isn't like the souls we send before their negative feelings can create fiends. I would like to at least wait until he wakes up to understand the situation.”

“What? Isn't the point of the sending to prevent people from ending up like him?” asked Tana. “Things from the Farplane don't belong in Spira. Just like the living don't belong in the Farplane. It will do things to your mind…”

“I would normally agree with you, but… to be honest, I'm sort of curious. The only Unsent I've met before was Seymour Guado, and I can imagine the reasons for which a corrupt person in a high position of power might stay behind,” said Twill. “But this man, I don't recognize. I don't think he's anyone so famous, or infamous, as the case might be. I would like to talk to him first.”

“Then you'll send him?” asked Tana.

“I might,” they said. 

The man started to stir.

Wren felt a chill, almost, though she didn't feel threatened. It was strange knowing this man was not among the living… but not surprising.

He opened his eyes, which darted around the room, as if confused. He was squinting, Wren realized, and she wondered if his eyes weren't very good. Could a ghost need glasses? She guessed he wasn't really a ghost.

“Where am I?” he asked, his voice slightly hoarse.

He had kind eyes that were almost vacant, and he wore long robes that were no doubt going to chill him to the bone if they weren't removed quickly. His hair was quite thin on top, and short, but his beard was quite long. By his face Wren could tell he was very, very old.

“It's the Travel Agency, in the Thunder Plains,” she said.

He made a small sound as if lamenting something. “I suppose I must have collapsed again?” he asked.

Merris and Tana shared an expression that seemed like they wanted to ask “again?” but neither of them wanted to say it out loud.

Twill nodded. “It seems that way. We found you and brought you here. I was going to try to heal you, if you were injured, but given your current status I wasn't sure if I should…”

“My what…?” started the old man, confused for a moment. He cleared his throat. “Ah, yes. I sometimes forget that my body is slightly different from most denizens of the living world. It must sound unsettling for me to say it that way, but when you've walked the planet for as long as I have, the difference is difficult to notice after some time. I apologize for the inconvenience.”

“You didn't do anything wrong,” assured Twill. “I would rather have realized it now than left you behind. I don't make it a habit to condemn people to death.”

“Even if their day came so long ago,” offered the old man, chuckling warmly. “What are your names? I'm quite forgetful these days, but I make it a point to remember every face I've ever known, especially when I owe them quite a debt.”

“I'm Tana, and this is my brother, Merris, who carried you here.” Tana seemed wary still, but she was willing to be polite. He did seem pretty harmless.

“My name is Twill.”

“I'm Wren.”

Her voice was almost timid, but it was only because of what Twill said. The man was definitely Unsent, and somehow she felt it was well. Maybe Tana could feel it too; it certainly explained her nervousness.

The man smiled from where he was lying on the cot. He seemed to be about to say something, but he paused after a moment, then looked between them. 

“This is a bit embarrassing to ask, but could one of you possibly help me sit up? These clothes are quite heavy when wet, and I must admit I still feel a bit weak,” he said.

Wren moved forward, helping him as best as she could while he tried to support himself. He patted her hand on his shoulder once he was upright, smiling, and at once seemed reminded of something.

“My name is Maechen,” he said finally, nodding proudly. “I'm a wandering scholar, as it were. An amateur collector of stories, theses, and factoids.”

“A scholar?” asked Wren, blinking. “That's perfect, actually. Maybe you can help me with my research?”

“What research?” asked Maechen. He reached to the top of his head for something that didn't appear to be there, to his dissatisfaction. Had he been wearing a hat before?

“Yes, you see, I'm making a sphere movie that I want to put together to showcase some of Spira's history. It's about the lives of summoners as they traveled across Spira on their pilgrimage. You must know a lot about that, right?”

Maechen beamed suddenly, as if he had been waiting for such an opportunity his whole long life. “Of course! I have seen countless summoners to their various destinations. Of course, you must know most pilgrimages end prematurely, for one reason or another, but it isn't all bad. I have made it a point to shake hands with every journeying party over the years as I've met them… I even had the privilege of meeting a couple of our high summoners, including Lady Yuna.”

Tana looked down at her wet clothes, then at Wren, and smiled politely to Maechen. She apologized, but she really wanted to get out of those clothes, and they still hadn't yet checked into the Agency. She excused herself from the room. Merris followed after her. Wren couldn't blame them for not being interested in the subject of conversation, but she was enthralled. Twill seemed to be taking it all in slowly as well.

“You met Lady Yuna?” asked Wren, blinking. “Who else? Another high summoner? Was it Lord Braska?”

“No, no. Well, yes, actually, I did meet young Braska, as well as his two accompanying guardians,” said Maechen, thinking. “But my memory goes far beyond that. I believe I had the honor of meeting Lord Gandof, long, long ago…” 

“The very first High Summoner? That was over four hundred years ago,” said Twill, frowning. “Wasn't it?”

“Um, I think so,” said Wren. “It took almost half a millennium before anyone defeated Sin after Lady Yunalesca, so… If he was the first after her, that  _ is _ a very long time.”

Maechen nodded once again. “It was more than a lifetime ago. I consider myself very lucky to have witnessed so much of Spira's incredible history.”

“I'm sorry if this is rude, but… how long have you been Unsent?” asked Twill.

“Ah…” said Maechen, frowning. “You know? I can't recall. It's been far longer than that. I mentioned my memory is quite spotty. A side effect for remaining in this world for so long, perhaps. I don't… recall how it is that I died. It's just as likely that I passed in my sleep as in my travels. I can't seem to remember which came first… But I can tell you that I am originally from Zanarkand, if that gives you any idea of the frame of time in which I lived.”

Wren's breath hitched. The city lights flashed through her head as if spanning it from one side to the other in only a matter of seconds. “Zanarkand?”

“Yes, indeed. The ancient civilization of the most powerful summoners in all of history… though I am not one myself. My interest in the practice was purely academic. I didn't really have a knack for it.”

“Still, that’s incredible,” she said. “You have a firsthand account of… pretty much all of recorded history!”

“Well, thank you. I am rather proud of my collection myself, but as I mentioned, my memory isn’t what it once was…” he said, humming to himself. “I don’t know how useful I could truly be to you.”

“Oh, that’s alright. Maybe I could go over some questions with you before we leave,” said Wren. “I’ll try to keep them short.”

He stroked his beard for a moment, thinking. “Yes, perhaps if you had any specific questions, it could jog my memory. As far as my wellbeing goes, I am quite well. It’s just that I’ve misplaced my glasses, and my hat. I must have lost them in the rain…”

“I can find them for you,” said Twill, getting to their feet. “If you had them on when you were outside, I’ll look around the place where we found you.”

“Thank you,” said Maechen, nodding his head appreciatively. “You’ve done more than enough for me already. I am truly grateful to you all.”

Twill bowed their head, then turned to head back outside to retrieve Maechen’s belongings.

Wren watched as the other left her alone with the old scholar. Tana actually poked her head in the doorway to check on them, then nodded when Twill passed her, turning away as well. It seemed they were going to go search together. Probably for the better. Wren knew Twill could take care of themself, but it was certainly safer not to be alone.

“And you, young lady…” said Maechen, pulling Wren out of her nervous thoughts. “You have something special too, don’t you? I only realized a moment ago… but you feel familiar, somehow.”

“Familiar…?” asked Wren, blinking. “I don’t know… Have we met before?”

“Perhaps. I’ve been nearly everywhere at some point or another,” he said, thinking. “Perhaps, when you were younger?”

“Um… I did move to Luca from Bevelle when I was about ten or eleven. My mother was a recorder for the warrior monks at Operation Mi’ihen,” she said. But something was bothering her too.

“Oh… A sphere recorder in Bevelle?” asked Maechen. “There must be many… but your mother… what was her name?”

“Oma.”

“Oma… Yes, that sounds right. I recall a young mother and her little daughter, clinging to her leg when a stranger approached. This was on the road from Djose… There was no town then, so it must have been… at least six years ago,” he said, thinking.

“Really?” asked Wren, giving an embarrassed laugh. “I’m afraid I don’t remember, I’m sorry.”

“It’s quite alright. I only spoke to your mother for a moment, she asked me how long it was until the Travel Agency,” he hummed. “But you said she was at Mi’ihen, did you…?”

Wren’s expression fell, and she nodded, shrugging a little. “Yeah, she was. Um… it’s alright. It’s just me now.”

“I should apologize,” he said. “I didn’t realize.”

She shrugged again. Then she paused, thinking of something else, anything else. There was something that had been on her mind, she realized, as she stared at the dull colored fabric of the cot Maechen was seated on.

“Actually, I have a question,” she said as she looked up. “It’s not really about my research, though… I, um… Something strange happened to me recently. You must know a lot about Pyreflies, right?”

“I suppose I should,” he answered, nodding. “It’s not as though life’s secrets have been opened to me, through death, but I know enough. What is it?”

“Well…” Wren started, glancing to the side. She started to recount her story to him, as well as Tana, and the state they had found her in. She left out the details of Mobius’ involvement, apart from the strange dreams he seemed to share with her. She also neglected to mention the apparent nature of the Pyreflies, and the reason they were looking for more of them in addition to completing her film.

Maechen sat back for a moment while he thought. 

His pensive silence made her feel uncomfortable, and she started to stare around the corners of the room to avoid it. She counted the empty cots in the room, of which there were three. There were no windows, as it was already grey outside and they probably feared the gloom outside would only depress their guests, particularly if they were unwell. Instead, the room was brightly colored, and on the walls were decorated plates depicting floral designs. It was tactically comforting.

“These dreams… The city,” he said finally. “I think you must already know where it is. It sounds like you’ve been through a lot, so I can’t say I blame you for seeking a different answer.”

“Yeah, I think so,” admitted Wren. “You think it’s Zanarkand, too?”

“Based on your description… No other such city exists in Spira anymore,” he said, nodding. “If it were Luca, or Bevelle, you lived in both places for a short time, I would think you would be able to identify them if it was either one. But there aren’t any other cities that could possibly fit that description. I can see it so clearly in my mind… I don’t have any doubt that you’re witnessing someone else’s memories.”

“Memories of a whole city?” she asked.

“Well, you did say it was a dream,” said Maechen, waving his hand. “I don’t think anyone who has ever lived could have a  _ perfect _ memory, but if someone was familiar enough, it would be easy to create such a replica in a vision. And anywhere they might not be so familiar with, you might be filling in with your own imagination.”

“Maybe so,” she agreed. Maybe…

“Or, perhaps it is that these Pyreflies, if there are really a great deal of them similar to each other, the memories belong to more than one person,” he said, thinking. “I suppose that would make sense, given the erratic nature of their souls.”

“If that’s true, that’s pretty scary,” said Wren, frowning. “I feel like I should feel lucky to be able to see the ancient city of pre-war Zanarkand with my own eyes, but… One person’s memories are bad enough.”

“I don’t mean to frighten you,” he said, looking apologetic. “I’m only offering suggestions based on my own experience, but… Perhaps opening up to your friends might help, in this situation. There will be time to figure out what it is that’s happening to you.”

Wren nodded in agreement. “Yeah… And there’s Tana, but to be honest? I don’t… feel the same pull from her as I do from Mobius. Does she really have the same thing as me?”

“You might ask your Guado friend. It’s easy for Unsent to identify each other, but I’m afraid I don’t know very much about your situation. They, however, seem to be able to identify your Pyreflies as well, even if they don’t realize that that is what they sense.”

She paused her nodding for a moment to think. “And… that spirit I mentioned, in my dream while I was in the Farplane? What do you make of that?”

Maechen inhaled deeply through his nose, then sighed. His eyes tilted up towards the ceiling while he thought it over. This time, his answer came a little quickly than before.

“Have you asked her yourself?” he asked.

“I haven’t… I didn’t have any strange dreams last night, so I haven’t spoken to her since Djose.”

“That’s a starting point, at least. But aside from that… You mentioned that the dreams started shortly after your incident in Kilika Port, but the spirit only appeared to you after your arrival in the Farplane. Is it, perhaps, a coincidence? Or is that the two aren’t connected at all?”

Now that she thought of it, he was right. She had assumed that the spirit was somehow the cause of her dreams, and that her appearance was related to the increasing intensity of the dreams, but that was entirely new. Was the spirit just something else she had picked up?

“Speak to her, the next time you get a chance,” said Maechen, nodding his head slowly. “I’m sure she will have more answers for you than I.”

“I will,” said Wren, frowning.

At that moment, Twill and Tana returned together, carrying Maechen’s misplaced items. Twill placed the glasses and his hat beside him on the cot. 

“It took a few minutes to track down your hat,” they said. “I hope it isn’t ruined.”

“Truthfully, I’ve had it for a long time,” he said, placing his scraggly old hand on the hat. “I doubt it will be any worse for the wear. But thank you for finding it for me. I am truly grateful for everything you all have done.”

“I should be thanking you,” said Wren, bowing her head. “You gave me a lot to think about.”

“As a scholar, there is no higher praise,” he said, chuckling. “And I thank you for keeping an old man company.”

Tana looked at Wren curiously, then back at Maechen. The distrust was gone from her eyes, but she seemed skeptical. Wren would definitely have to answer for that.

The three of them said some brief wellwishing words to the old man before Tana showed them to their own room for the night. She didn’t say anything about what had happened, simply getting comfortable in the room. She set up her toolkit at the small table in the corner of the room, affixing a promised gem to one of Merris’ gauntlets. 

Wren waved to get Twill’s attention, calling them over to where Tana was seated. She had some doubts about Tana’s situation, though she wasn’t at all distrustful of the woman. The strange situation with the dead city and the souls of its inhabitants wasn’t well understood by any of them, and she had many questions. She sat across from Tana at her workspace, prompting a raised eyebrow and a strange look in her bottomless eyes.

Twill stood next to the two of them at the table, tilting their head. “What is it?”

“I don’t mean to sound… strange,” started Wren. Her words were slow and thoughtful. Timid. “But I… feel like I have to be honest about something I’ve been curious about for a little while.”

“Yeah?” asked Tana, blinking. She set her jeweler’s tools down to listen. “What are you saying?”

“Okay, um… You said that you were one of the first people to explore Djose temple when the Machine Faction moved in, right? So… you have the errant Pyreflies?” She hesitated a little. “And that’s why Mobius did what he did to you?”

Tana’s eyes flashed for a moment, but she nodded. “Yeah. I have them. But I haven’t ever had any other weird symptoms, like you and him both described. As far as I know, they’ve just been leaving me alone.”

Twill tilted their head back, looking between the two of them for a moment. And then they paused. Their eyes glanced back to Wren, waiting for the reason she had called them over.

Wren nodded her head, gears slowly turning. “After we met in the Farplane, my dreams got weirder. And… I met that spirit, I mentioned, who spoke to me in my dream. And you said you’ve never felt anything like that.”

“Right,” she said, though she didn’t sound sure of what Wren was trying to ask. “I don’t mess with spirits and the Farplane. Even before I was stuck down there. I’m not really interested in the dead, especially after what a bunch of dead people have done to the world.”

“Okay, this is going to sound weird too,” said Wren, grimacing. “Um, after I was attacked, when I met Mobius again, I could feel this kind of pull towards him? Like, I can kind of feel his presence... But I don’t think it’s him that I felt, after thinking about it. I think it was the Pyreflies. And… I haven’t felt that from you, during or since we met.”

Tana drummed her fingers for a moment, frowning deeply. Did she understand? “You know what…? I know I felt the same thing from Mobius when I first met him. Kind of faint, though. But now that you mention it, I haven’t felt the same thing from you at all either. I guess it could be that the Farplane kind of… cancels its own energy out, or something? I don’t know anything about that, but I should feel it from you now.”

Wren nodded vigorously, then looked up at Twill. “Right, I thought so too! So what I wanted to ask, Twill, was do you feel the same thing coming from me as her? Does she still smell like the Farplane?”

“It’s not exactly a ‘smell,’” said Twill, shaking their head. “It’s more like a sense, like a feeling? It feels like something that’s sort of stuck to you--so it’s kind of like a smell, but it’s not the same, it doesn’t have a  _ scent _ . Inside the Farplane, it’s everywhere, so it’s impossible to find its source, but outside...”

Tana waved her hand, huffing to hide a soft laugh from them. “Come on, answer the question. If this is important, I want to know too.”

Twill tilted their head to the side, leaning towards Wren, then the other direction, leaning towards Tana. They pursed their lip into a line. 

“...No, I don’t sense the Farplane on you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is kind of dialog heavy, even compared to others (I'm trying to learn how to balance it better) so I apologize for that. I'm also sorry about the ~~kind of?~~ cliffhanger? But I didn't think it was a big enough cliffhanger, just a decent stopping point before the next chapter, which I'm actually already starting on. It's also not proofread very closely but I only care a little bit about that.
> 
> I also don't know if this is going to sound weird to anyone else? I don't think literally anyone else cares about weird attention to detail in these games and my fic, but Maechen kinda appears to just disappear at the end of X-2. I took the idea of using him in my fic after watching some of the Fiend Arena stuff in the International version of the game, where I think it says that Maechen decides to stay and watch over Spira after all, for one reason or another (I didn't pay much attention to most of the Fiend Arena stuff, I don't really like most of the Fiend Tales lmao... so the details are a little fuzzy)
> 
> Anyway I've got some stuff planned but I'm really walking myself through this and solidifying details as I go along, so it's easy to forget and make mistakes, even with my loose outline of the story. 
> 
> I hope you'll all continue reading, and thanks for a whole year since I started writing this fic. :) 
> 
> Just in case I don't update before the end of the year, happy holidays, everyone.
> 
> [Related deviantArt gallery with character references, chapter illustrations, and more here!](https://www.deviantart.com/slingbees/gallery/64363069/Path-of-a-Summoner)


	20. Where Are You?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Starting to get some answers...

Tana gestured with her hands at Wren. “Well, there you go.”

Wren continued looking at Tana, her face twisting in confusion. “So… what happened to the Pyreflies?”

“I don’t know,” said Tana, putting her hands up. “It’s like I said, I’m no good at this stuff. I don’t do spirits, and I don’t do magic. This is pretty much all I know, right here.” She gestured at her crafting supplies in front of her for emphasis. “You’d think I would notice that they were gone, if I knew anything at all about what was going on before being told about it.”

Wren looked down at the table, nodding. She folded her hands in her lap, thinking for a few moments. “Yeah, that makes sense. I just can't figure out what really happened.”

Tana waved one hand gently and started to get back to work. “I dunno. My guess? Farplane took them back. I'm just glad to be rid of them.”

Twill nodded, shuffling back over to where they had been sitting on the bed before. “I can't say I blame you. I think it was pretty likely Mobius intended to claim your piece of the puzzle for himself, so let's just hope that isn't what happened.”

“We'll just have to make sure he doesn't get all of it,” huffed Tana. “That was pretty much the plan already, right?”

Wren nodded eagerly. Then she stopped, stared directly ahead, pursing her lips together, and finally tilted her head. “What did you plan to do about the airship, anyway?”

“Oh, that. It's not really that complicated,” she admitted, looking up at the ceiling for a moment. “I thought about stealing it, to be honest. I don't really know how to fly it, though. So the most realistic thing to do would be just to destroy it. Let me into the engine room and we can do enough damage to keep Mobius grounded for at least a month.”

“Oh, yeah, I guess so,” said Wren.

“You almost sound disappointed.”

“I sort of hoped that taking care of it meant flying in it,” she said, laughing softly, a hand on her cheek as she was a little embarrassed. “But I don't think any of us are pilots, right?”

“Not as far as I know.” Tana put one arm over the back of her seat as an anchor so she could turn to look at Twill.

“I'm definitely not an expert in any sort of technology,” they said, protesting just a little. “I'm still wrapping my head around the machina that started popping up everywhere after the Eternal Calm began.”

“Fair enough,” shrugged Tana, beginning to tinker with Merris’ gloves once more. 

Wren wanted to get out of her way, so she made her way to one of the beds, sprawling across it comfortably. It was intended to fit two people, and Tana would probably eventually come around to slip into it once she got tired, but at the moment Wren was taking up the whole thing. It was dark outside, and not just because of the thick clouds that never breached to let in any light. 

She pulled off her still damp outer layer of her clothes, flopping them onto the floor beside the bed. She realized that across the length of the room, there was a rail that appeared to be for the purpose of hanging wet clothing. She saw that Tana and the others had already done just that with their own coats already, but she was too tired after a full day of wandering the marshy desert.

* * *

 

Inside the city, Wren was already looking for the spirit she had spoken with in the Farplane. This was made difficult by the fact that the spirit was not something that could apparently be seen, to begin with. 

“Spirit? Spiiiii-riiiiit?” She was unsure if the people who bustled about the city could really see her or hear her, but she was unafraid of seeming foolish by calling out. She had no idea how to find the spirit, after all.

There did seem to be fewer people present, somehow, but it was a great deal more than none. Was it because she wasn’t in the Farplane anymore? 

Where was she now, anyway? She was sure the city really was Zanarkand, but more specifically…

She was standing in some kind of open area, with a large, illuminated fountain in the middle. It was very elaborately carved, but the greatest spectacle was how the water itself seemed to be made of light, how it reflected every bit of light that bounced off of its surface. Everything around her, and even she herself, held a faint, dusty rose color from its light. She found a seat on one of the stone benches that surrounded the fountain, and tried to focus.

Something like a breeze fell past her ear, and she could somehow feel the presence of the spirit nearby. Perhaps within her, perhaps around her.

“That isn’t my name, you know,” said the spirit, not at all coldly.

Wren snorted just a little, with the same amount of distant friendliness.  _ “It might help if you would tell me what your name is.” _

The spirit seemed to think for a moment, as if deciding something. “Amalthea.”

_ “Amalthea…” _ Wren repeated softly.  _ “I don’t really know a good way to ask this politely, but could you tell me anyway? What are you exactly?” _

“I’m… just a spirit,” said Amalthea. “Right now, I’m trying to understand the situation outside. I don’t mean you any harm.”

It sounded a lot like she was avoiding the question. She sort of hoped she could mentally shut out the spirit’s ability to read any thoughts thought too closely in her general direction. As long as Amalthea wouldn’t tell her anything, she didn’t want her to be able to read her.

“Um… alright?” Wren tilted her head. “Well… can you tell me what it is you want from me, then? That probably sounds rude, too, but I don’t exactly know what’s going on with you, being in my head, and all.”

“All I want is to see someone put a stop to Mobius,” said Amalthea. “That’s why I’m here. You’re the only one I know who can do something about him. About what he’s planning. If you really possess this power… I think you can stop him.”

Wren paused, staring into the fountain. If Amalthea knew about Mobius, then these memories of Zanarkand couldn’t belong to her. How old was she, exactly?

“Can I ask you something else, then? You… you’re… dead, right? But if you know Mobius, then you’re not… some thousand year old spirit I picked up in Kilika. Is the fact that you’re here now related to the Pyreflies at all? You’re not from Zanarkand.”

“No, I’m not. I was from Bevelle,” said Amalthea. “This has been my first time seeing the ancient civilization of summoners as well. The Pyreflies aren’t mine, either. Whoever they belong to died long before I was ever even conceived.”

“I thought so,” said Wren. She rubbed at the back of her neck. “I can see that you and I… seem to have a common enemy? But I don’t think this arrangement is fair to me. You can read my mind, at least to some degree, and you have at least some idea of what’s going on around me. I don’t know who you are, and I don’t know why you’re here. Can I trust that you are who you say you are?”

Amalthea hesitated.

“I don’t know. I’m still deciding if I can trust  _ you _ or not,” she said. “I don’t know everything. You have the same power as Mobius. It’s easy to assume that if either of you collect all of the Pyreflies, you’ll have the power to destroy all of Spira. That’s far more than any one person should have. Even if you promise me now that you won’t use it, how will I know for sure?”

Wren felt something rise in her chest, a pinching feeling that made her spine tingle and ache.

“That isn’t fair,” said Wren, folding her arms tightly around herself. She didn’t know why she had to prove herself to her. Why did she have to struggle with the spirit living in her head, and to what effect? “I mean--I get it. I hear what you’re saying. If you only have half the story, we’re both relying a lot on each other’s good faith. But you don’t know anything about me, or my friends.”

She sat down once again, a frown etched on her face as she put her face in her hands. “Okay, I know that doesn’t sound fair, either, but listen for just a second. I lost my mom to Sin. I can’t lose anyone else, and Spira shouldn’t have to return to living like that ever again.”

“On top of that, you don’t know about Tana,” she said, tilting her head so that she was resting her chin in one hand, the other crossing her lap. “Do you know what Mobius did to her? She stumbled across the Pyreflies in Djose temple before any of this started, and he somehow found out, and then he tried to kill her over it. That’s how we ended up in the Farplane in the first place.”

The silence that followed was more surprising than anything else she could have received as a response. 

“Amalthea?”

“I’m here. I’m just thinking,” she answered. “I wouldn’t put anything past him. To be honest, I’m more surprised that he didn’t manage to succeed in killing her. He isn’t the kind of person to… leave a job half finished, if you’ll forgive me for sounding so cold.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well… Tell me what happened, to Tana? He threw her into the Farplane?” 

Wren sat up straight. “Yeah, that’s right. I think they fought for a bit, but he’s too strong for any of us to fight alone. The details don’t matter, but he threw her into the pit inside Djose temple. I don’t know if he knew it led to the Farplane at the time.”

“Probably not,” said Amalthea. “If he knew, and he truly wanted her dead, that wouldn’t have happened. I doubt he had any idea.”

She was repeating herself. Wren didn’t know if she liked her response, but she guessed that was probably going to be the end of that line of conversation. For now, anyway.

“Alright, then I have one last question,” said Wren. “What do you know about the Pyreflies? Tana used to have them, but now they’re gone. She said she doesn’t really notice stuff like that, and didn’t even realize they were gone. I thought… You’re dead, right?”

She heard Amalthea sigh. “I don’t know everything. But… alright, I’ve been here a little bit longer than that incident. What I do know is that the amount of power you possess increased significantly after that, so my best guess is that Mobius was trying to accomplish what you succeeded in doing. He... probably meant to kill her and absorb the Pyreflies for himself.”

“But Tana is still alive!” Wren was on her feet again, and this time, she didn’t know how to settle down. She walked towards the fountain, holding herself again. “What do you mean by that? I took them from her? She’s alive. How could I have taken them?”

“Oh-- oh no, no. That sounded more alarming than I thought it would,” said Amalthea. “It isn’t very good news, as it is, but I promise, you are correct. Tana is alive and presumably well, not like me, and she isn’t Unsent either. But… I think it’s likely that the conditions were right. If she accepted the possibility of her death, inside the Farplane, she… might be considered as good as dead. And the Pyreflies are drawn to each other. With Tana as weak as she was… I’d guess that they were drawn to the nearest source of power. Which is you.”

Wren still felt unsettled. Amalthea wasn’t wrong, but she felt off. The way she spoke felt cold, and distant. She would have to wait, but she would get answers eventually.

She sat at the fountain’s edge, looking into the water. 

“Yeah, I guess that makes sense,” she said finally. “Thanks, I guess. For letting me bounce ideas off of you, anyway. I don’t know what to make of the rest.”

“Alright,” said Amalthea, settling back down. “I’m sorry this is confusing. To be honest, I don’t know what I’m doing either. I hope we’ll have time to talk in the future.”

Wren made a soft sound, but didn’t make a real effort to respond. What else was there to say right now? 

She let the dream fade back into a dream, and finally get the rest she deserved.

* * *

 

When she awoke in the morning, she noticed that her clothes had been hung up nearby. She glanced around at the others who were beginning to stir, but couldn't guess which of them was responsible. She was grateful that she wasn't going to have to walk around smelling like mildew thanks to them.

They were so close to their goal. None of them wasted any time getting ready to leave for the day. They did pause, for a moment, to say goodbye to Maechen, but he was nowhere to be found. The woman at the desk said she hadn't seen him leave, but he certainly wasn't there now.

No one really liked that answer but they figured the dead could do what they wanted.

They took their things, and hesitantly wandered out into the rain again. It was cold and instantly miserable, but something else was nagging at Wren.

“Um… next is Macalania, right?” she asked, no longer having to shout over the rain.

Merris shook his head. “To get to Bevelle we only have to go through the woods. The old temple's sunk into the lake anyway. No point, right?”

“Mm, maybe.” She didn’t sound convinced. 

The storm was thinning out and now all that was left was the fine mist that covered the land. It leaked into the forest’s entrance, creating an unearthly aura around the crystalline wood. The air as they approached seemed to sing with some kind of magical energy, like the rush of water and the tinkling of wind chimes simultaneously. 

They were finally out of the rain, and as the landscape started to fade into the strange trees the area was known for. Wren looked around curiously, as if searching for something. Something felt strange. The path in front of them started to split into a number of well-traveled path, but one path called out to her more than the others, deeper into the forest.

Twill started down the path that took them the farthest away from where Wren wanted to go.

“Is that the way to Bevelle?” asked Wren.

She had stopped walking, standing there dripping wet at the crossroads, prompting the others to look at her strangely. 

“Yes, it’s this way. It isn’t far, either, we’ll be there in no time at all if we keep going. Since we seem to be ahead of schedule, we’ll probably have time to stop for a little while to think about what to do next,” said Twill, nodding.

Wren dragged her hands down her face, thinking. Okay, so they needed to go to Bevelle. That was true.

“What’s down that way?” she asked, pointing into the forest.

“That’s just the way to the temple,” said Tana. “But like Merris said, it’s underwater, and even if it wasn’t, we need to move. Why do you want to go to the temple, anyway?”

Wren tugged at her sleeve, wringing it with her fingers a little. “Um… for once, it’s not really because of my research? Actually, I didn’t plan on writing much, maybe I’d get a couple of shots for the movie, but that’s all. I just feel like I need to go to the site where it used to be, even if I can’t get inside.”

The other three stood around her, looking between each other and her, as if trying to decide what to do. It was clear they all wanted to move on.

“If you think it’s important…” said Tana, frowning. “I’m not sure we should ignore it.”

“Really?” asked Wren.

“Yeah, I mean… the temples are practically breeding grounds for dead things, maybe there are more of those souls there,” she said, cupping her chin with her hand while she thought. “Both of ours were found at temples, right?”

Wren nodded vigorously.

“That’s a good point. It wouldn’t be any good if Mobius found them before us, either. I mean, in the long run, the airship is more useful, if there are more to collect, but the fewer he has, the better,” said Merris. 

“I have an idea,” said Twill, sighing. “This probably isn’t the smartest idea, knowing what we’re up against, but I say we split up. I’ll go to Bevelle ahead of everyone and keep an eye out for Mobius.”

“Okay, no, bad idea,” Wren said, immediately.

“If you’re all set on getting those Pyreflies as well, it’s the only way,” said Twill. “I’m not suggesting trying to fight him on my own, but I can keep an eye out, and I’ll find a way to keep him from leaving on the airship if I see him.”

Merris frowned. “Hey, at least let me come with you. Even if you don’t plan on getting into a fight, are you sure it’s a good idea to be alone? What if something happens anyway?”

“Trust me, I have no intention of dying, I’m not going to engage him at all. He doesn’t even know what we’re doing right now,” they said, shaking their head. “And to be honest, I’m probably the safest person to send. He’s never seen my face before.”

“You have a point,” said Wren, shifting her weight to the side in resignation. “Are you sure this is okay?”

“I’m positive that I’ll be fine,” said Twill, nodding. “It will probably be dark by the time you get back, but here, here’s what I know about going to Macalania. There’s a secret passage through the woods--it’s not much of a secret anymore, since anyone passing through always takes it now, but the woods are easy to get lost in. This path cuts straight through everything.”

They were pointing in the direction behind them. 

At first, Wren didn’t see it, but she noticed something shimmering just out of existence that looked like it was trying very hard not to be seen. The harder she tried to see it, the easier it became to see, like an optical illusion of the light. She reached out and touched it with her hand. It felt like nothing at all, but there was clearly something underneath her fingertips that she was pressing down on. Was this the path?

“That’s it. I don’t know what kind of magic it is, but it seems like it’s only visible if you know it’s there. It might have something to do with the forest spirits still living here,” they said. “The other thing is that there’s an old Travel Agency on the way to the temple. I don’t think it’s officially a Travel Agency anymore, but you’ll be able to buy any supplies you’ll need, and they offer tours of the lake.”

“It kind of makes us sound like tourists,” said Tana, huffing. “But I guess that’s basically what this started out as, isn’t it?”

“Things got crazy pretty fast,” admitted Wren.

Twill inched a little closer to the path to Bevelle. “Try not to get hurt. I’m the only one who knows any healing magic.”

She started moving towards the invisible path, which suddenly seemed so much more clear to her now. “Thanks for the help. If I don’t find anything, we’ll come right back. Promise.”

“Stay out of trouble,” said Merris, nudging their arm. 

“I will,” they snorted, shaking their head. “And good luck.”

Twill left in one direction, while Tana, Wren, and Merris found their way to the pathway that would let them cut across the woods in only half the time it would normally take. The tugging sensation didn’t seem to be alleviated as she moved closer to the destination. 

At least she knew she was heading in the right direction.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Somehow this chapter ended up being a long transitional one, but I wanted to get everything done in this chapter instead of tacking the long conversation with Amalthea onto the end of the last one, or the last little bit at the end of this chapter to the beginning of the next. 
> 
> At this point I'm just gonna stop pretending I'm going to go back to careful proofreading, since that isn't the point of this project in the first place. 
> 
> ALSO, I suggested that the previous chapter would probably be the last one of the year, but I found out that closing at my new job is very boring and since I'm doing it all week this week and probably much of next week, since my other coworkers are college students, I've written like the next three chapter's outlines already. 
> 
> So y'know.
> 
> Bear with me a little longer, the next chapter will finally have something happen in it, haha. 
> 
>  
> 
> [Related deviantArt gallery with character references, chapter illustrations, and more here!](https://www.deviantart.com/slingbees/gallery/64363069/Path-of-a-Summoner)


	21. Bad Accents and Big Fish

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which I'm bad at writing comedy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the same chapter as the one I published a few days ago, but I forgot to add something to the end to make the way I've separated the next couple of chapters work (I've got about three or four chapters ahead outlined). 
> 
> Then just now I realized there was less to write than I thought, so I probably could have just edited it, like I had originally planned when I thought "oh my gosh, I have like a whole essay to tack onto this."
> 
> Anyway other than what I added to the end, I probably changed about one sentence in the rest of the chapter, so if you already read the chapter before then just go ahead and skim it up til that point.

Tana led the three of them through the woods.

Wren wasted no time in getting her camera out as they crossed the bridge from one end of the woods to somewhere near the other. The ground beneath their feet was nearly invisible, but glittered with a strange sheen that made it just barely less than alarming to cross. But only barely, as their footsteps didn’t make a single sound, even when Merris’ heavy boots thumped against it. The only sound was the shuffling of feet against each other.

There was something strange about the way you walked on it, too. Wren could feel how easy it was to find her footing. Surely one could slip and fall, but she had no trouble at all finding where it was safe to step, as if her feet were being guided. It was very obviously created through magical means, but if it wasn’t already, she could definitely feel it through that alone.

She still loved these moments, where she could just act like a regular girl on a tour across Spira, as intended. Even if the footage didn’t make the final cut, she would treasure memories like these forever. She just wished they were being made under better circumstances. At least the former summoners of Spira could afford to meander. Sin was going nowhere. In fact, it was important to make memories, and savor what time was left, if the summoner even made it to Zanarkand, and then back to the Calm Lands.

Things would be a lot easier if she could just. Wish Mobius away, or something.

The trees in the forest were very strange, crystalline figures with glowing lights, as if they had been decorated, but every piece of it was entirely natural. Almost everything was covered with either moss or vines, or both. Most of the trees were at least a thousand years old, preserved by slowly dying magic over time, but there were many younger trees beneath their feet as they trekked. Wren was careful to give a shot of the treetops that they crossed over.

They came to the end of the bridge before long, and somehow it felt even stranger to be walking on solid ground again.

Before the end of the woods, which was nearly hidden from sight for the thickness of the trees, the path split again.

Wren peered down the path, where the ground seemed to be soft and damp, and only becoming more so the farther in one went. The ground was more akin to tightly woven netting, made of various vines, than real ground, as that was the only thing preventing one from soaking their feet. It seemed to be some kind of spring, nestled under a gnarled tree, where all the water in the woods was trickling down from. The tree emanated a strange kind of light that reflected across the surface of every puddle and every stream it touched, creating interesting patterns across the trees and crystals that surrounded the clearing, in various golds, pinks, and blues.

It was such an ethereally beautiful place that Wren was very sad they couldn’t stay any longer. She would have to make a note to visit again one day.

Twill hadn’t been kidding when they had said the Travel Agency wasn’t far from the edge of the forest. It was practically next door, but Wren doubted many people came this way due to the empty surrounding area. The brush cleared, and there it was, nestled in the snow. The air chilled very suddenly, as well. Within the forest, it had been a marshy, but comfortable heat. As soon as one stepped out of it, however, the temperature plummeted. None of them were really dressed for the weather at all, so they all three hurried into the shop, to get out of the cold.

It was only a little warmer inside the shop. There was a fire going, which provided a soft glow to the room, and definitely brought the temperature up, but they were going to need something a little heavier than that to keep warm.

There was a man standing off to the side, adjusting something on the shelves, then moving back and forth between the other side of the room, clearly unsatisfied with his own work no matter what he did. Another, younger-looking man stood meekly behind the counter, fidgeting with something on the countertop. Both of them seemed surprised to see the three of them standing in their door.

The older man dropped what he was doing, the object he was holding clattering to the ground as he rushed over to greet them, hands clasped together in what was meant to be a pleasant gesture. “Welcome to O’aka’s!”

The greeting seemed well-rehearsed, but too enthusiastic.

Wren took a step back, towards the door, then forward when she felt the icy air that was wafting in between the cracks of the door. “We, uh... It’s cold out.”

“Oh! Yes!” said the man, who seemed to be O’aka. “We carry a limited supply of cold weather wear just for the occasion! Coats, hats, gloves, boots--we’ve got it all!”

“I think we’re going to have to make do with coats,” said Tana, though she stared down at her bare legs. “We picked up a decent amount of gil at Guadosalam, but…”

“Took care of a few fiends in the Thunder Plains too,” said Merris, nodding.

“Yeah, but I don’t know if we have enough,” said Wren, frowning. “Merris is the only one wearing pants that are really acceptable to wear, and even then…”

“Besides that, would we even have enough money for the tour afterwards?” asked Tana, thinking.

“Tour?” asked O’aka, his eyes brightening for just a moment. “What’s this about?”

Wren paused her internal monologue while she thought to turn and look at him. “Oh, uh, we need to go to the temple. Or, to the lake, I guess. But my friend said that you offered tours? The only way to get on the water is by boat, right? But obviously, we don’t have one, and we’re kind of in a hurry…”

The man’s expression looked a little puzzled, like he wasn’t quite following her line of thought, but he seemed to understand three things. They were interested in buying clothing to stay warm, they were interested in a tour, and they were strapped for cash.

“Well, well, since ye’ve been referred to our place of business, maybe we can cut a deal. I’ll offer ye a discount,” he said firmly, folding his arms and nodding.

Tana sucked in air through her teeth and sighed, but nodded. “Let’s see what it comes out to, alright?”

They actually managed to work something out, all three of them soon outfitted snugly for the cold weather. To Wren’s absolute relief.

“What about the tour?” asked Wren, tilting her head.

“Wantz here will take ye,” said O’aka, jerking his thumb in the direction of the younger man, still fidgeting away with something. “Free of charge, if ye’ll tell your friends.”

Wantz looked up, eyes going wide for a moment. “F-for free? Do you know how cold it is out there?”

“Course I do,” scoffed O’aka. “I’ve been stuck out here in this cold, same as you, haven’t I? But I’m the oldest. O’aka XXIII; is that me name or isn’t it?”

“It is…” said Wantz.

“And what did dear mum and dad call ye?”

“...O’aka XXIV.”

“So it’s decided! You, outside, free of charge.”

Wantz seemed to have conceded, but Wren felt rather like she’d stepped into the middle of something she didn’t understand, having no siblings of her own.

He stepped out from behind the counter, then started to put on layers of outerwear to bundle up. “Alright. Let’s head out, then, while the sun’s still out.”

He seemed unenthusiastic, but polite enough to try to keep a chipper edge to his words on their behalf. Which was far more than Wren expected of him.

“You don’t really have to do the whole tour thing,” said Wren, after they stepped outside. “We just need to go to the lake.”

“Yeah?” he asked, leading them to the side of the building, where he uncovered three machina. Snowmobiles that would serve as transportation to and from the lake. “Well, if you have any questions, just ask!”

Wantz took the seat of one of the snowmobiles, Merris took one, and Tana and Wren took the last one together. Wren wondered what the seating arrangement would look like if Twill had been able to come with them.

The trail leading down to the lake looked well-worn, which was unsurprising. If they were about to go out on the lake, they must have checked the state of the ice on the lake regularly. No wonder neither brother wanted to take them out on the lake, they must make the trip at least once a day. That said, the trip was easier for the tracks already made by the treads of the machina before, even with the light snowfall between then and the previous trip.

There were posts at the end of the trail, marking something. Wantz started to brake before the group reached them, so she guessed they either were marking the edge of the lake, or possibly the depth of the snow or ice.

Wantz hopped off his machine, then waved them over to a small docking area where a couple of boats were tied up. They looked able to hold a few people each. He reached for one of the long, metal-tipped oars leaned against the dock nearby, then extended the other towards the group.

“Any of you know anything about navigating icy water?” he asked.

Merris tilted his head to the side. “I have a little experience with boating, but… Never on ice before, no.”

Tana and Wren both shook their heads.

Wantz passed the oar to Merris. “Just follow my lead.”

He helped Wren, clutching her camera, into one of the boats, while Tana and Merris climbed into the other. The boats were untied, and after testing the water with the oars, they pushed off.

Wren peered with her camera into the water, which was eerily clear where one could see between the ice, to the very bottom. There was a mist rolling off of the lake, making it difficult to see ahead of oneself, but they maneuvered through the water with ease, if cautiously. Below her, she could see some pieces of the sunken temple, broken apart either when it fell or with time, worn down by water.

The mist became thicker, and she could see pyreflies floating on the fog as well. The pulling feeling certainly was coming from the temple, and they were heading right towards it. She could feel somewhere in her chest that this is where she needed to be.

“In just a few moments we’ll be able to see the top of the temple, where it remains half sunk into the lake,” said Wantz, pointing. “The fog isn’t usually this thick, but I can take us up real close, so don’t worry about getting that perfect shot.”

Wren pointed her camera in the direction of Wantz’s finger, trying to see through the mist.

In its midst, she could make out a shape. There was a large structure, tilted on its side so it was leaning heavily into the water. It lined up with the structure below, as well. It seemed that it had not yet slipped all the way into the water, but the lake was quite deep, and that was only what she could measure by the size of the temple. She was sure it would slip all the way to the bottom one day.

A strange gurgling sound came from the shape, prompting her to tilt her head slightly to listen for it if it happened again.

“That’s just a bit of snow falling into the water. The lake’s still in the process of thawing out,” said Wantz. “Maybe in a few years, this place will turn into a balmy beach resort.”

“Not too soon, I hope,” Wren murmured.

The temple came into focus, no longer just a shadow, and now she could make out the details of intricately carved architecture that arched down into the lake, like a fallen stalactite. Up close, she was able to make out another shape. One that chilled her more than the icy wind ever could.

It looked like something sticking out of the water, a decoration from the temple, or perhaps a marker or buoy like what was stuck in the ground by the lake’s edge. As they got closer, however, Wren could see that it was a person, standing on top of the water’s surface. She turned her camera off.

“Mobius?” she breathed.

There he was, still wearing his strange garb, but with a bit more layering than normal. His cloak seemed like a strange scarf now, and there almost seemed to be a supernatural wind around him, causing his long braid to flow on the breeze that only he could feel.

Beneath him, Pyreflies flocked at his feet, apparently supporting his weight. She knew that Pyreflies could be manipulated by certain skilled people, and that Pyreflies were the very basis of sphere technology, able to store memories in a tangible form, but…

“Mobius!”

The call belonged to Tana, who leaned forward dangerously in the boat, over the side. Merris leaned to the other to keep her from rocking the boat, and seemed too stunned to do anything else.

He turned to face them, looking almost as surprised to see them.

Wren cursed herself for not noticing he was here. The sensation pulling her towards the temple must have drowned him out.

“Wren!” he called out to them, waving his arm. “What are you doing out here?”

“Don't you dare ignore me!” spat Tana. “How dare you?”

Merris had to hold her back to keep her from tipping the boat over as she leaned even further still over the edge. Wren couldn't blame her.

“What do you mean? What are you doing here? How are you doing that??”

Mobius was a little slow to respond, clearly concentrating very hard on what he was doing. “Oh, yes. You didn't know I was once an apprentice summoner before the start of the Eternal Calm, did you? My training was extremely rigorous, but some of the skills I learned proved to be useful even after my chance to leave for my pilgrimage passed. Even as we speak, I am channeling the Pyreflies from the temple to my location, using them to support me. It's no easy trick, but it comes a little more easily to me now than when I was younger.”

Wren didn't know what to say, and everyone else was stunned into silence at the sight of a man balancing on the frozen lake.

“I see you've found my mistake I neglected to clean up after,” he added, stepping closer. “I was wondering what had become of her. I expected you might find out what happened to her sooner or later, but I had hoped it wouldn't be so soon… Did you fall into the Farplane as well?”

Wren raised her hands together, then drew one hand back from the other, as if pulling the string of a bow. A spark grew at her fingertips, becoming a full flame as it hurtled past Mobius, missing by only a small margin. Wantz cried out in surprise, then squeaked a protest to her that she only half heard.

“If you want to fight me like this, you've put yourself into a pathetic situation,” he warned, a chill to his words. “If your boats were to topple over, all of you would freeze before you even reach the bottom of the lake.”

“How did you get here before us?” asked Wren, finally able to speak. Her hands were trembling with anger, and behind her she could still hear Tana struggling slightly against Merris. She should have known he wouldn't feel even a little remorse for what he had done to Tana, but he wouldn't even hear her anymore. Did he know about the Pyreflies? Basic human decency made that a moot point, but clearly he felt he was above that.

“I made the trek on foot myself. You must have noticed my footprints in the snow, right? I left some time after you, actually, I'm surprised you didn't get here sooner. But if you went after her, then you must have lost more time than you thought inside the Farplane.”

Wren fired another spell at him, this one evaporating in the water beneath his feet.

“I didn't stop to rest until I reached the Thunder Plains, either, so I'm not so surprised you didn't know I was following the same trail as you seem to be,” he said. “That must mean you understand the gift we've been given. The one you stole from me in Kilika.”

So that's why he had been so cold to her when she was ill afterwards.

“The power to revive Sin?” she asked, her shoulders tensing up as she stared past him.

Instead of saying anything, he took the trident from his side, and started to do something strange that she had seen him do once before.

“He's going to summon,” she shouted, turning back to Wantz, who looked more terrified than ever. “Get us out of here, now! Tana, don't leave the boat--we have to go!”

“He’s going to  _ what?! _ ” Wantz looked like he was debating jumping ship instead, more out of surprise than anything. “Who are you people?”

Wren made some wild gestures with her hands to indicate to him that they needed to move more than she had time to give him answers.

They wasted no time in turning the boats, a tedious process as Tana clutched the side of the boat even after Merris released her, and Wren held both sides to calm her nerves in case the boat started to rock.

Something was forming out of the mist, and now it was moving below the surface of the water. Something far larger than any boat Wren had ever seen.

Unfortunately, rowing was a slow process through the ice. Wren started doing what she could to melt the ice ahead of them with her magic, but it seemed to have little effect.

Whatever was under the water was rising up now, causing bigger waves across the lake. The boats started to rock from the ripples created by the creature’s massive head, which broke the surface of the icy water with a fierce, roaring cry.

Wren turned to look, just in time to see a giant, serpentine head come crashing towards them, only to disappear just before it could get near them. It seemed Mobius was more interested in frightening them than killing them. The result, however, was that a huge wave of ice and water was rushing towards them. It sent them flying from their boats, washing against the shore.

They were half soaked in freezing water, and lucky not to have hurt themselves in the crash, either on the ground or on the boats themselves. The boats themselves had become beached not far from where they had all landed in the dirt and snow.

“Everyone alive?” asked Merris.

They all groaned in response.

“We should get out of here,” said Wantz, standing up despite the fact that he was obviously in pain. He was shaking, though Wren couldn’t tell if it was from the cold or from fear. “If that thing doesn’t come after us first, we’ll freeze to death.”

Wren picked up her head just in time to see soft, wisplike lights over the lake disappearing, and the pull of the Pyreflies along with it. She clenched her fist, beat it on the ground once in frustration, then pulled herself up off the ground.

Her back hurt, mostly in her shoulders. She’d been slammed against the ground pretty hard and the others were shaking out various aches. It was a wonder no one had been injured.

More importantly, the water seeping into half of her new clothes felt disgusting and would probably kill her if she didn’t get moving.

They loaded back onto the snowmobiles, and took off. The cold air as they moved through the wind chilled her straight to the bone, and she buried her face against Tana’s back, squeezing her eyes shut. The cold didn’t help her feel any better about what had just happened.

"I can't believe him," growled Tana, barely audible over the running motor.

"Me either." Wren suspected she wasn't really looking for conversation, but she certainly shared that sentiment. 

"I almost died because of him. I was _this_ close," she said. "He won't even address me like a living being. He's talking about me like I'm a pet."

"I think he talks to everyone like that," said Wren, lifting her head a little. "Everyone... except me. I don't want him to treat me the way he treats me either, I'm sorry. I don't think he sees me as a person either, though."

Tana shook her head. "No, he doesn't. He sees you as a tool. That's how he used to see me, but I was so busy with everything going on in town while we were building that I barely had any time to interact with him, or notice. He must know about what happened to my Pyreflies."

"I think so too. I don't know," she said, quietly. "Sorry."

"He's the only one who should be sorry. I don't know how long it'll take, but I'll make sure of that," she muttered.

Wren nodded her head, putting it down once again. She'd never blame Tana for feeling the way she did, no matter what anyone said about revenge or holding a grudge. Tana had every reason to be furious. Her revenge would be for no one but herself. Maybe then Tana could get some peace of mind.

The old Travel Agency was coming up over the top of the hill.

No time was wasted at the shop. They left their winter clothes behind after changing, since they were too wet and heavy to do anything with. The two brothers were left with many questions, and received very few answers in return, partially out of safety and partially because they were in a hurry to return to Twill. All they were left with was a warning to keep themselves safe, and not to worry about anything they saw. Wantz had more to worry about than his brother, in that respect, but the guideline applied all the same.

The three of them ran most of the way back to the fork in the road, and to Bevelle. Naturally, they were getting tired by the time they reached the fork, and there was no time at all to enjoy the scenery. Wren had begun to doubt that Mobius had any interest at all in pursuing them, even if he  _ had _ been right on their heels the whole time (and he wasn’t.) Really, it had been foolish to be so worried, but the sooner they reached Bevelle, the better. 

She was only really starting to regret it now that her legs were starting to feel like jelly. Her chest hurt, and her throat felt ragged. She could tell the other two were tired, but she was the only one in such awful shape. She hoped this journey would toughen her up, but she hadn’t exactly planned on literally running for her life during her filming. Her pace slowed to a trudge as they walked.

Bevelle wasn’t far now--they could see the long bridge that led to the city’s entrance, and the canals that ran from one end to the other. Wren could see them, but she was feeling lightheaded, and far too warm.

Her ankle gave way under her, and she hit the ground before reaching the bridge, unconscious.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You know, sometimes when I outline I write out a couple of ideas for chapter names, which isn't something that's incredibly important to me most of the time, so they're usually very silly. 
> 
> The exception being when I have like a big "a-ha!" moment and go "oh my goodness, here's what I can call this chapter!! it ties everything together!! it's perfect," but that's happened maybe 2 times. 
> 
> This chapter was originally going to be "Water Walk with Me," because I was thinking really hard about water walking in Oblivion and also the frequent bane of my existence that puts every coherent thought I've ever had on hold: Twin Peaks.
> 
> Also the creature he summoned is Leviathan but I couldn't find a good place to sneak that in, it wasn't important to Harry's journey.
> 
> [Related deviantArt gallery with character references, chapter illustrations, and more here!](https://www.deviantart.com/slingbees/gallery/64363069/Path-of-a-Summoner)


	22. Change of Plans

She was in Zanarkand again, lying on the ground looking up at the sky, as if an unseen force tossed her there, leaving her to collect herself. She declined this invitation, staring up at the clouds instead. She heard the sound of the ocean from all around her.

“What now?” she mumbled, shaking her head. “What am I doing here?”

“You passed out,” said Amalthea. “You don’t think you have some sort of condition, do you?”

“If I do, I’d appreciate if the construct living in my head wasn’t the one to make fun of me for it,” she said, huffing.

“That’s quite rude. I’m not a construct. I was a living person, once.”

“I know, I’m sorry. I don’t know what happened for you to end up like this, but I don’t understand how I got tangled up in this, either,” said Wren.

“Better you did than no one,” said Amalthea. “If you hadn’t come across Mobius’ mess, there’s a good chance no one else would be able to stop him either.”

Wren sat up finally, muttering in agreement. She seemed to be near the docks where she had first started, this time. There were few people walking to and fro in small groups, but it was relatively unpopulated compared to the bulk of the city.

“Do you know about what’s going on outside?” asked Wren.

“Not… really,” she answered. “I don’t really see anything, I’m mostly reliant on your judgement. I only really know what happens with you, and even then, only the internal aspect. I don’t know why you were caused to collapse, for instance. Just that your body is exhausted. But that’s easy to put together.”

Wren hummed softly, shrugging. “So you don’t know that I saw Mobius.”

“No, that I did feel,” she said, her voice turning cold again. “And I know you panicked and did nothing.”

Wren laughed in disbelief. “What? Did you want me to fight him? Don’t act like I wouldn’t love to, if I wasn’t on a tiny boat in the middle of a frozen lake and he wasn’t standing on the water’s surface like it was solid ground.”

“Do you mean that you can’t do that?” asked Amalthea, sounding surprised.

She had to pause a moment to think about that. What did Amalthea think she was? Their perceptions of each other seemed to both be way off base.

“Did you think I knew how to walk on water?” she asked, squinting her eyes.

“I thought… Well, I suppose it probably isn’t as easy as some might make it look, it took Mobius some time to learn it. It’s not even a necessary skill for summoners,” said Amalthea, embarrassed. “It’s just that his training was particularly rigorous, so I guess I shouldn’t have expected anyone else to have  _ had _ to learn it.”

Answers to a completely different set of questions, that had not been asked or even occurred to Wren came forth. She had to stop Amalthea there, before she lost her own train of thought.

“Slow down,” she said, frowning. “Do you… know Mobius?”

Amalthea seemed to realize she’d said more than she really meant to. Wren felt something that seemed almost like the spirit was  _ sighing. _ “Intimately.”

That left her with no clues as to why she was being so secretive. Which was annoying, at the very least. 

Wren blinked, reacting the only way she knew how, at the moment. “Why is he like this?”

“I don’t think there’s anyone living or dead who knows the answer to that,” she admitted. “By the time I realized what was going on in his head, it was far too late.”

There were a couple of ways to interpret that, but before Wren had a chance to ask anymore questions, she could feel something touching her, gripping her arms. It felt like someone was gripping her body in the real world, but when she looked down at herself, there was obviously nothing there. 

“Someone is trying to wake you up,” said Amalthea, not bothering to hide the disappointment in her voice. “Actually… I have much more to tell you, if there was time. When you get a chance, please come back to Djose. If you can find me there, I’ll tell you everything you need to know.”

Wren tried to open her mouth to question her, but was unable to speak. Everything dissolved around her, and she felt like she was falling. 

Merris was leaning over her closely, shaking her arms. 

She did not recognize her surroundings. It looked like some kind of storeroom? The ceiling was awfully high, but there was nothing in the room with them but an open crate, and some broken pottery. The room had no door either, and led directly to outside. If it was a storeroom, it didn’t seem to be in use anymore.

“Merris? Where are we?” she asked, nudging his grip on her away. “Where’s everyone else?”

Merris’ eyes glanced to the side and he sucked in air sharply through his teeth. “Okay, so you’ve been unconscious for a little while now. A few hours. Twill said you didn’t seem badly injured after you fell on the way here, but your ankle might feel a little weird, so we let you sleep. In the meantime, we started working on our strategy. We thought you’d wake up by now, but…”

“What’s going on?” she asked, squinting. It was dark outside, she realized. The light was coming from somewhere in the streets outside the storeroom.

“Everyone else is in place and we have to get moving to make sure our plan works,” said Merris, standing up. 

“Wh… wait, right now?” She blinked, then started to get to her feet as well. “Did you carry me all over town like that?”

He shrugged a little in a sort of “what else was I supposed to do?” gesture. 

“So what are we doing?” she asked, tilting her head harder than before.

“Well, that’s the thing, the plan is pretty straightforward. Twill and my sister are checking out the hangar where Mobius’ ship is being held. Then we’re all going to board the ship, find the engine room and dismantle and destroy as much of it as we can before anyone shows up to stop us,” he said. “So it isn’t complicated, but we can’t leave you here while we work.”

Something clicked in Wren’s head.

“Wait, we can use the airship,” she said, shaking her head. “I, uh… I need to go back to Djose. The spirit told me to come back to Djose to find her. If we go back on foot we’ll just waste time.”

Merris stared at her blankly. “Hey. You mean you want to go back to Mobius’ base of operations because a ghost told you to?”

Wren tested her ankle for a moment, frowning. “Anything sounds bad if you say it like that. The spirit said she knew Mobius while she was alive, and that she’d finally tell me everything. We know Mobius isn’t in Djose. As far as we can tell, he’s acting alone. So if going there and back without him ever noticing means getting some answers, I think I have to go.”

“But the only way we can do it like that is by taking the ship instead of grounding it,” he mumbled, thinking. “I don’t know, it sounds dangerous. Who’s going to fly it?”

“I don’t know, I only just found out about all this--I hadn’t really thought it out,” said Wren.

“I guess we’ll have to figure that one out when we come to it,” said Merris, inching towards the doorway. “We’ve got to make sure the other two know what’s going on before we do anything we’ll regret.”

Merris took off in a sprint before Wren knew how to respond, leaving her to try to keep up with him. It seemed unwise to exert herself, as that seemed to be the apparent cause of her collapse, but the situation required urgency. She chased him a short distance through the streets of Bevelle. 

They looked out of place, the few bystanders lingering at night dressed in generous robes that draped their figures to their feet. Their footsteps, however, echoed through the passageways between buildings, like a quadrupedal thunder. Though Bevelle was a city, at night it seemed as silent as a grave. People would certainly be looking out their windows to see the noise.

Suddenly, Merris came to a stop, stumbling his feet to halt himself, and Wren had already slowed down some time ago. Her pace couldn’t compete with his. 

She looked up at the building they stood next to. It was huge, and certainly new. And uncharacteristically square for a building in the old city…

It definitely looked like it could house a ship.

Merris, shuffled up to the side of the building. He peered around the corner into its alleyway, then wandered in. 

“We’re pretty near where New Yevon kept their machines,” he warned. “Tana said there would be security, somewhere. A machine like this needs a lot of people to keep it running properly, especially if its owner uses it so rarely.”

Wren nodded, following behind him quietly as she could. Her breathing was still dry and somewhat painful, and her ankle was a bit sore, as promised. She would be fine in just a few moments, but she was worried about how quietly she could move like that.

They came to an entrance, finally, and slipped inside. Indeed, the building consisted of a single room that looked exactly as large as it appeared from the outside. More impressive was the ship, however. 

It was large, and somewhat clunky looking. Wren had seen the airship that had circled Spira since a little after Sin was defeated, and its design was far sleeker. By no means was this one rickety, but rather than being mostly made of harsh metal, the construction was similar to a ship one would see on the ocean. It even had bulbous parts that appeared rather like the sails of a seaworthy vessel. The side of the ship bore its name: Hyacinth. It definitely looked like something someone with too much money to blow would own.

Oddly, though, the hangar was unoccupied. Merris mentioned security, but the stone floors and walls echoed every breath they took, with its emptiness. There was a soft shuffling sound coming from the direction of the ship.

Wren was too busy staring at the ship to speak, at first, before Merris nudged her. 

“It sounds like they’re inside,” he whispered, a tone of urgency slipping into his voice. “I think the entrance is lowered on the other side.”

There was a gurgling noise that sounded like it came from deep within someone’s chest, and Wren jumped in surprise. A series of inoffensive snores followed shortly.

“Is… someone asleep?” she asked.

Merris sidled against the ship, then turned his head around the corner to see. He crossed in front of it, then looked. Wren could only follow.

“I don’t see anything,” he said, gesturing to her to look as well.

Wren felt that something was slightly off. There was no security? Wasn’t Mobius extremely wealthy? The surrounding industrial area probably served as enough protection already, but there was not even a single guard that they had found.

She was forced to shrug it off, then took off her sandals to avoid any extra noise in spite of her findings. She boarded the gangplank that extended to the floor from the side of the ship, entering cautiously with Merris following behind.

The other two had left a rather obvious trail of open doors. The interior of the ship was surprisingly roomy, the open door apparently leading to some kind of storage space. Despite the fact that it had likely been built for joyriding, it had a reasonably sized cargo hold. Wren didn’t have time to think of that, however. Finding Tana and Twill was more important. She followed their breadcrumb trail to the engine room. 

The engine room was a series of boilers and other many-chambered, scary looking machines. Tana was poised next to one of them with a wrench that she appeared to have lifted from the man outside, ready to turn the valve.

“Stop!” she shouted hoarsely, trying to muffle herself. She hadn’t meant to yell, but there was no time to react otherwise.

Tana barely heard her in time, and the wrench slipped from her fingers, rattling to the floor very audibly.

“Shhh!” she hissed, mostly at herself as she jumped out of the way to avoid hitting her toes.

“You’re awak,!” hummed Twill quietly, nodding at Wren.

Wren nodded back, but held her hands nervously as she approached Tana. “We can’t destroy the ship. We need it. If we take it, at least we know it’s out of Mobius’ hands.”

Tana shook her head. “Slow down for a second. What for? We don’t even know where we’re going next.”

Wren started to try to explain herself, but the mechanical hum of the lift startled the four of them. It was moving back up, and the time ticking away before it stopped moving indicated it had been moving towards the deck and bridge area.

When it came back down, there was a girl leaning somewhat sleepily against the doorway of the lift. 

She rubbed at her eyes, her somewhat muscled shoulders heaving as her eyes settled on them.

“What are you doing on my ship?” she barked at them.

She was short, but lanky, with noticeably muscular upper arms. Freckles were smattered across her olive tan skin from working in the sun, and she wore a bandana tied behind her ears, covering most of her short, somewhat stringy hair.

“Well?” she prompted, leaning against the doorway, revealing a crossbow on her hip Wren hadn’t noticed before in the wake of her surprise.

“Doesn’t… this ship belong to Mobius?” offered Wren, before she could really stop herself.

The girl snorted, shifting her weight back onto her feet to take a couple steps off of the lift to stand before them. 

“I built the Hyacinth myself. Even if all Mobius did was name it, it might as well be mine, since he’s never here,” she said. “I fell asleep in the cockpit, but I’m not letting you lay a hand on this ship. Give me the wrench.”

She made no move to reach for her weapon, instead reaching her hand out to Tana, who was the closest to it.

Tana seemed to be considering her options, her shoulders tensed, but after a moment she leaned down to reach for the wrench, passing it to the girl, who then tucked it into the belt around her waist.

“Wait, are you a pilot?” asked Merris. 

“Not officially,” said the girl, shaking her head. “But if someone didn’t take this thing for a spin every now and then, it’d fall apart in no time. And since I’m the only one in charge of taking care of it, that means I’m the only one who ever flies it too.”

She paused, then made a gesture drawing a line from the group to the lift. “Forget that. Get out of here. This place is off limits.”

None of them moved. 

She reached for her crossbow this time, cradling it in her arms as she kept it pointed at their feet. “Did you hear me? Get. Off. My. Ship.”

“Sorry, how much did you say Mobius pays you for all that work?” asked Tana, rubbing at her neck. “Taking care of a ship like this can’t be a job for one person, right? Between any repairs, and keeping it running, and leaving you here to take care of it overnight…”

The girl squeezed her eyes shut, relaxing her stance as she contemplated.

“Well, I’m not really supposed to be guarding it or anything, I just… fell asleep in the cockpit,” she admitted. “There usually aren’t many guards, but I’m always here during the day.”

“Sure, but all the work you’re doing during the day, by yourself, you must be making a fortune, right?” Tana asked, opening her palm towards her. “How old are you, anyway, kid? Where’d he pick you up?”

“I’m not a kid, my name is Chia and I’m seventeen. I’ve been doing this kind of work for a while, fixing up machina, so I think someone referred him to me when he wanted a ship built,” she said, thinking. “But now that you mention it… this sort of work is normally done by a lot of people. The last time I had any help working on it was… when it was being constructed…”

She frowned deeply. “I’ve only met Mobius a couple of times, when he still lived in Bevelle, and since then I’ve been dealing with couriers, mostly… What is it you want, again?”

Wren blinked at Tana in surprise as it unfolded. She didn’t really feel comfortable with manipulating her, but if she felt she was being mistreated then maybe it wasn’t complete garbage anyway.

“We need a ship,” said Wren, nodding her head, before Tana could say anything else. “Mobius is… doing something really dangerous, that will probably get a lot of people killed. We need to be able to travel faster than Mobius can, so we can cut him off before he gets a chance to try anything.”

Chia fiddled with the edge of her bandana, scratching her head briefly while she thought. “I mean… that sounds bad? But you’re not giving me a lot of information. How do I know I can trust you either?”

Wren frowned, looking down at her feet. “Um…”

“We’ll pay you off,” said Merris, pointing. 

Tana looked to Merris, this time. 

“After we beat Mobius?” he offered, shrugging. “He’s got a ton of money, right?”

Tana nodded her head. “Right, right. We’ll sort it all out then. The most important thing is that we get where we need to go.”

Chia thought about this for a few moments. “Well… All I’m really supposed to do is keep this ship running. If I’m taking it for a test flight, I’m the only one who can be the judge of that… So as long as I’m flying the ship, then it’s never left my watch, has it?”

Wren’s eyes lit up. “So you’ll help us?”

Chia placed her crossbow back at her hip, shaking her head. “I don’t know what kind of mess you guys are caught up in, but if I can get even with him, that suits me just fine. Like I said, this ship is practically mine, anyway.”

Tana looked relieved, relaxing her shoulders at last. She nodded her head to Chia, who sort of grinned awkwardly in response. “So… where are we headed, anyway? I’m ready to take off whenever, but I can’t take you anywhere unless you tell me more.”

“Djose,” said Wren, quickly. “I’ve heard the reason Mobius keeps his ship here is because it’s too rocky to land anywhere near the town, but… If you can take us as close as you can, it’ll help.”

Chia rubbed the back of her neck, frowning. “I’ll take you as close to the temple as I can, but you’ll have to walk wherever you need to go in town. Got to be careful of the electricity running through the temple too. Sound good?”

Twill broke off of the group to find the cabins, while the others went with Chia up to the deck. As the ship started to take off, the ceiling of the hangar opened, and the ship began to rise into the dimming sky. It was nearly nighttime, but that wasn’t stopping them.

The view was dizzying, and she was grateful the railing on the ship was so high as the ground started to grow smaller and smaller below them. She sank down to the floor of the deck, the air chilling her skin as they cut through the clouds. Maybe she would join Twill after all. Besides, she was feeling unrest after spending a couple of hours unconscious. Her body still felt stiff and strange, and she could still feel her ankle pulsing.

When Tana helped her get down to the cabin area, she finally explained herself. What was happening, and why they were going backwards, back to Djose, when Mobius would find out any time now that they had taken his ship.

The cabin area wasn’t very large, it had a small living area with comfortable seating inside, meant for a handful of people, but the number of beds made it clear that the number of people it was meant for was probably lower than were currently aboard. The two beds were on the large side, however, so Wren anticipated sharing, once again. That still left one person out of the equation, but it seemed Chia was more than content in the cockpit of the ship.

The three of them had arranged themselves on the beds, so they were almost sitting in a sloppily-made circle, if they could be any closer together.

“Why does the spirit need you to go to Djose? There are easier ways to access the Farplane, if she wishes to communicate with you,” said Twill, frowning.

“Yeah, I… didn’t get a chance to ask, because everyone was already set up to destroy the ship,” said Wren. “But… I just realized something.”

“What’s that?”

“Well, um… I told you about what I found before, in Djose? There is technically one place where the living can commune with the dead, without going to the Farplane,” said Wren, rubbing her arm with her other hand.

“The Hall of the Hymn,” mumbled Tana, nodding.

“Yeah,” she said. She didn’t realize how tired she felt until she stretched out across the bed. “I think Amalthea is probably a Fayth.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Related deviantArt gallery with character references, chapter illustrations, and more here!](https://www.deviantart.com/slingbees/gallery/64363069/Path-of-a-Summoner)


	23. Amalthea

They touched down in Mobius’ ship before Djose’s temple, and Chia allowed them to disboard before taking off again. Tana squinted up at the sun as the ship floated lazily above them, like a balloon. She sighed and gestured to the others to follow after them.

“I haven’t been into Respira’s base of operations since I was working on the accenting down there,” she said as they walked, shrugging. “I pretty much kept clear of everything involving their group. I don’t know if you know, but I’m not a huge fan of these big organizations.”

“I feel weird about going back too,” admitted Wren, wiping her palms on her shorts. “Um, but the last time we were here was when we were looking for you, so that’s a step up.”

Merris made a noise of agreement, nodding his head.

This time as they reached Mobius’ mansion, they took the public entrance down into the sanctuary. 

The presence of other people was certainly not something Wren had expected, as her previous experience was only with the nighttime crowd. The room was full of a handful of people exalting the statues of the high summoners that encircled the room and its crystalline benches. 

“I didn’t build those,” said Tana, scrunching her nose up as she pointed at the statues. “He must be in good with someone in Bevelle.”

It was… exactly the same. Maybe it was the energy of the people gathering, but Wren realized that there was little difference between the sanctuary that Mobius built for his followers and the temples of Yevon’s reign. It was like someone had taken a slice of the world before the Eternal Calm, and preserved it. It seemed like something he would do.

Merris pointed at the back of the room. “Yeah, but you made that molding, didn’t you? We’ve got to get to the lift.”

As the group moved towards the entrance to the lift that would take them to the Hall of the Hymn, the crowd started to take notice. Murmurs of unease broke out as they made their way to the back. Without Mobius, though, none of them cared. Respira wasn’t a militia. There was no fear without him. And they were already through the doors before anyone could say anything to them.

The song was reaching out to Wren, like an uncomfortable embrace as she felt the hymn in the soles of her feet and the palms of her hands as she stepped off of the lift. This was it. 

She passed the Fayth stones belonging to the others Mobius had collected. Kianpraty. Leviathan. Those that she had yet to meet. Amalthea’s stone was the one in the back center. She wanted to understand.

As she stood before Amalthea’s stone, the Fayth herself appeared. 

The image of a young, but serious girl formed in the air before them. Her dark skin shone in the flickering reflection of Pyreflies, her face framed by her long hair, pinned out of her face at the sides. The tunic she wore made her look very comfortable, dressed up with a flowing sash draped from her shoulder to her hips. The look in her eyes was somber, and resigned. 

Amalthea waved meekly, scanning her eyes over the four of them, then placed her hands at her sides again, turning her attention entirely to Wren. 

Of the choir ringing in Wren’s ears, her voice was the clearest.

“So you  _ are _ a Fayth,” said Wren, folding her arms. “...What are you doing in my head?”

“Um, you came to me first,” she answered. “When you came here before, you touched my stone. It’s been a while since anyone other than Mobius has been down here, so I was… curious. I felt something about you that was similar to him, but in a good way. I thought that you might be my only chance to do anything about my situation. So I bonded with you.”

“Bonded?” asked Twill, making a face. Wren guessed that they probably had more experience with these kinds of traditions than her.

Amalthea made a vague gesture with her hands. “Formed a bond? I don’t know. I’ve only been trapped in this stone for a few years. What I’m saying is that was when we connected.”

Wren’s expression had tightened considerably into a frown while she thought, eyes closed. “Why didn’t you tell me that you were a Fayth sooner? I’ve just been calling you a spirit this whole time.”

“I… didn’t know if I was going to let you use my power or not?” she offered. “I thought you were similar to Mobius, and I was right. You have the same power as him. I mean, he had natural talent, and years of training, but you know what I’m talking about. I didn’t know if I should let someone with that kind of power have mine too.”

“I guess that’s fair,” mumbled Wren. She’d heard it before.

She didn’t say anything for a few moments, waiting for anyone else to say anything. She rubbed her forehead with her palm, then looked back up at Amalthea. 

“What did you want to tell me?” she asked, looking up at her. “Even if… you did  _ ‘grant me your power,’ _ what do I do with it? I’m not a summoner.”

Amalthea shook her head. “You don’t have to be. I just want to come along for the ride. I’ll let you decide what to do with my power, but I want you to listen to me. I want to talk about Mobius, and what he did to me.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally a short chapter again. This one may be a little too short, I dunno. It's easier to digest like this though, because the next chapter miiiight have to be split into two chapters. I have it outlined, but haven't started writing it yet, so we'll see what happens.
> 
> I describe Amalthea as "young" but I mean more in the sense of like... she's not 80 years old? I think she's 18, I wrote it down somewhere and forgot, but she's at least 18. That's why she doesn't talk like a benevolent god, tbh, but Mobius is...... 23 now, I think so I don't know what his excuse is except that he sucks. I wrote this all down somewhere, I swear.
> 
> Also we'll definitely see more of Chia, but her main purpose was to be a pilot when I needed one, so I hope I find more ways to use her in the future ;;
> 
> [Related deviantArt gallery with character references, chapter illustrations, and more here!](https://www.deviantart.com/slingbees/gallery/64363069/Path-of-a-Summoner)


End file.
